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Street Child Africa Training Centre: MOZAMBIQUE
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Article 25 is working with Meninos de Moçambique (a Mozambican NGO) and Street Child Africa (a UK registered charity) on the design and construction of a Crèche & Childcare centre. The facility will provide local working mothers a place to leave their children during the day, so that they can work or attend school. Article 25 is collaborating with Pierre d’Avoine Architects and Buro Happold engineers on this project.
[ project location ]
Luis Cabral Barrio, Maputo, Mozambique. The project is located in ‘Luis Cabral’ barrio, an informal settlement in the surroundings of Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. Mozambique is a country recovering from 18 years of civil war, famine, floods, cholera outbreaks and the devastating effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
[ project partner ]
Meninos de Moçambique (MdM). Meninos de Moçambique operates a centre that helps malnourished street children, who are more susceptible to malaria, skin diseases and sexually transmitted diseases. Through the gradual development of a trusting relationship, MdM can help street children make life choices to leave the streets.
[ project type ]
Initial site visits established the design brief and an extensive site survey was undertaken. Article 25 and MdM have a good understanding of the beneficiary’s requests; MdM also has an in-depth knowledge of the culture and the local community. By combining this knowledge with the technical and creative skills of Article 25 & Pierre d’Avoine, an initial design has been developed.
[ problem addressed ]
The cities suffer from mass urbanisation, a lack of infrastructure, poor management and a lack of investment in basic needs. As a result there are sprawling barrios (informal settlements) which surround the cities. The unsettled, transient nature of these settlements leads to the breakdown of family structures as, for instance, older family members migrate to find work. Street children are often on the street as a result of these breakdowns in family and community support networks. The Crèche and Childcare centre will provide facilities to support street children, enabling them to reintegrate into the community and empowering them in a future with improved educational and economical prospects.
