Africa-Press – Angola. With the reduction in the number of donations in recent years, Casa do Gaiato in Benguela is betting on agricultural production, to guarantee the self-sustainability of the assistance project for poor children.
Casa do Gaiato de Benguela, a “Street Work”, was inaugurated on January 5, 1964, by Father Manuel António da Silva Pereira, who died, aged 86, in December 2020, in Porto (Portugal), his hometown. Christmas.
The director of Casa do Gaiato in Benguela, Father Arnaldo Joaquim, stressed that, in order to overcome the difficulties in feeding children and young people, the challenge is to produce cereals, vegetables and tubers.
“We have an agricultural field and we want a self-sustainable project. So much so that we are inserting most of the older boys into the field, but we have difficulties with irrigation ”, she said.
In this way, it provides for the self-sustainability of Casa do Gaiato in Benguela, at a time when several institutions that supported it have stopped doing so due to the financial difficulties they are experiencing.
“We are already self-sufficient in corn production, but it is still insufficient for the size of our needs”, said the person in charge, who meanwhile complains about the difficulties in irrigation, since six motor pumps were out of order.
In addition, he also pointed out difficulties in acquiring agricultural inputs, which means that only 13 of the 50 hectares of arable land are being exploited, which is insufficient for the institution’s needs.
That’s why he asked for help from institutions both in the Government and in Benguela society, guaranteeing that if the 50 hectares produce, “we will be able to overcome some of the difficulties in this house”.
Number of donors to the orphanage drops
Since the economic crisis, Casa do Gaiato in Benguela has been following the reduction in the number of donors of basic food baskets, while internal difficulties to feed children and young people in poverty in the center increase.
According to Father Arnaldo Joaquim, there are currently only four to five institutions, mainly the fisheries in Baía Farta which, from time to time, provide some support, although insufficient for such a considerable number of people.
Pointing the finger at the economic crisis that affects many companies in the province of Benguela, the priest made it known that Casa do Gaiato has had many difficulties in getting food, because it does not always have the financial conditions to buy a basic basket in the market.
Regarding support from the Provincial Government of Benguela, the director of the orphanage points out that three or four months ago they received some food support through Social Action services.
Despite this scenario, the priest dismisses the possibility of the closure of Casa do Gaiato, referring to it being a “work of God” destined to welcome, assist, integrate and protect poor and abandoned children, preventing them from being marginalized in the community .
As part of its mission, Casa do Gaiato in Benguela has assisted over the years more than 11,000 boys from poor families across the country, who have received education and professional training. It currently houses 147.
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