Crowded Mozambique classes children drive at night school

Lights in the single-story classroom throw yellow pools on the sandy playground, while in a corner a few group around a popcorn machine. Although most of the 62 students left class when the teacher has not been, Joana is optimistic.

"Patience brings victory," said 31-year-old mother stoically.

"Perhaps when you leave the teacher comes and then you miss the lesson," she tells AFP.

His challenge is a routine for students in one of the poorest countries of the world, which is struggling to educate his youth but also adults failed next to tuition during decades of war.

Classes have an average of 66 students per teacher and managed schools in three teams of 7: 00 to 10: 00 to deal with numbers.

After starting a family, Joana returned to school with classmates of half his age to improve its chances of finding a good job. Even basic education would reserved in the Southern African country where adults have an average of 1.2 years of schooling, according to the Organization of the United Nations.

Finally, the ninth grade student takes the homeland of the Escola Primaria do Triunfo road in Maputo. It is difficult not knowing if the teacher will come or not, she said.

"We had two lessons (in the last half)." In the tenth year we? ll have problems. ?

The mathematics class has already been cancelled because no teacher is available, so the school closes earlier than the usual 10: 00 pm.

Approximately 81% of Mozambique's children go to primary school, although the numbers of decreased offshore as aging, but there is no space or teachers to manage all, especially when returning adult students are added in.

School of night began under the Portuguese colonizers, but Mozambique retained the system after independence in 1975 to deal with the overflow of the student.

This means that the Aida Bila, 16, a sometimes walk the five kilometres (three miles) home in the dark if public transport stopped or his family can afford the fare.

Help although aspiring lawyer is concerned about the missed lessons, teachers them during exams, she said.

"They don?". "t always provide answers, but sometimes they y.".

Even when teachers are present, many students come to school to socialize, said educator Carlos Francisco.

"The system created the conditions that they lose interest," said. "In the lower classes, they are automatically transmitted, then they come here and cannot read or write."

Francisco teaches design, but without no instrument to direct its course. 29-Year-old father is working 14 hours a day to three schools in support of his family, but some educators have even worse hours, he said.

"The Government tries to improve, only the country that has so many challenges." Admittedly, this is bad. ?

Mozambique has budget 22.8 billion meticals (730 million dollars, EUR 493 million) for education this year, approximately 18% of the national budget.

International donors contribute to at least 85 million dollars (57 million euros) of the education budget, but it should reduce donations due to the global economic crisis.

In addition the authorities cut parts of the budget to channel money subsidies after the death of 14 in the riots in September although education as a whole received more money this year.

"It affected the functioning of the Ministry," according to the Ministry of education, planning director Manuel Rego.

Do with the riots last year, it is time to do a good job"with the budget, he said.

The authorities are more schools and training teachers despite the setbacks, Rego adds.

"Even if it is difficult to see, much improved conditions."

One encouraging point is the enrolment of girls, with almost a girl by boy in primary schools.

All the same, education improve not for students of 6.9 million of the country soon, with a target of the Millennium development goal 2015 of 55 students per teacher little likely, recognizes the Rego.

"We won". t be able to extend the network of schools in the coming years. ?

Fight against deserts of food with a school bus

  twenty-three million American live in food deserts - urban and rural areas poor where no grocery stores operate. Mark Lilly, a former restaurant manager, concluded that the solution to the problem of food deserts may find themselves in an old school bus.

Residents of food deserts - 6, 5 million of them are children - have physical or financial access to fresh food. Their meals are fast food and convenience stores. In a live conversation with AOL health on his campaign "Let's's Move" to put an end to obesity, Michelle Obama said that she hoped to eliminate food deserts in seven years.

"We cannot look parents in the eye and tell them to do better... to see that they do not live in an area where they can live with these expectations," said Ms. Obama. "If you need to get in a cab or ride a bus or walking for miles to get a head of lettuce... you just set families for failure."

In 2009, Lilly, who served in the army and the Marines to six years, worked at a restaurant and to study for a diploma of graduate studies in Richmond, Virginia. In a class project, he turned on the food system from the United States. The more he learned, he becomes more disturbed.

"I discovered many things dark," said Lilly. "Most of the food are produced in a plant and are full of preservatives, of additives, colouring, sugar and salt." Shortly after, Lilly decided that he wanted to buy a bus, it renovation, fill it in with local products and to create a travelling farmers market.

He found a school bus of 1987 diesel listed on Craigslist for $3,500 and it loaded.

"I was driving down the thought of interstate, 'why did buy the stupid bus?'". ", explains Lilly. He parked in his garden for several months.

One day, Lilly went to demonstrate the existence of "food", Inc., a documentary on food production, after which local food leaders held an open forum. There, a woman has announced that she has lived in part poor and dangerous city where fruit and vegetables was not available.

"A light bulb exploded," Lilly said. "I can penetrate any area I want with this bus.

Farm to family was launched in June 2009 with Lilly, who has lost his restaurant job, its only employee. He currently works at 15 hours a day, seven days a week, and his wife recently left his job to join the company. Lilly stock the bus with organic fruits, vegetables, eggs, pies, milk, butter and meat. He visited Richmond through neighbourhoods: the city to the richest suburbs of restaurants of complexes of offices in homes for the elderly. Farm family accepts cash and food tickets and announces his location and goods on Twitter and Facebook.

The concept has gained international attention. Farm to family was presented in People magazine and on BBC World News and blogs for the Huffington Post Lilly. Lilly fields of calls and e-mails from across to United States, asking him to help establish more buses. This month, he opened a self-contained market in its own neighbourhood low income. Residents of this former desert food reacted with "Global joy and happiness," according to Lilly. It cannot meet the demand of his bus.

But the mission of Lilly also brings its share of the resistance. In some regions, the young generation - raised without access to fresh food - or education on the subject remains insensitive. "They are addicted to the stuff that they were fed for 20 years," Lilly said. "" "". Even if cigarettes are $35, someone will find this money, but speak their additional expenses of $3 on vegetables and it is as if you ripped their lungs out. "In these areas, the traffic on the bus of Lilly is sparse. Yet, it returns every week.

Lilly is of the opinion that is not the only challenges. "Unfortunately, the municipal Council members and people who could help the movement is on board," he said. He hoped that the political leaders of Richmond finally tell their constituents on the benefits of eating locally and naturally.

Despite the difficulties, Lilly remains positive. "There is a paradigm shift happening now," he said. "People are seeking a way out of this system." They move farmers markets and their own food. ?

In the coming years, Lilly hopes to expand the farm family and create jobs. He plans to remain a champion local, organic and wish its concept to spread across the country. He wants to see parents assume responsibility for the health of their children and to take the floor at school boards that feed treated children lunch.

It won't be easy, but it is possible. "It is a difficult task, and it requires effort," said. "This is how changes are introduced."