Gorongosa National Park, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is implementing projects to build resilient schools and health centres to benefit local communities. This effort is part of the Gorongosa Restoration Project (PRG), a public-private partnership between the government and the Carr Foundation.
According to the Lusa news agency, the project plans to build 26 resilient schools in the six districts surrounding the park, using architectural techniques adapted to withstand extreme climatic events. More than 15,000 primary school pupils will have access to modern classrooms, which will also serve as shelters during cyclones. Construction is being carried out by 293 workers, 92 of whom are women, including quarry workers, carpenter’s helpers, construction technicians and community mobilisers.
The statement also says that six new health centres will be built this year in the districts of Cheringoma, Dondo, Gorongosa, Maringué, Muanza and Nhamatanda, with the aim of increasing the resilience of local communities, providing essential medical services and mitigating the impacts of natural disasters.
The document explains that in 2023, the park’s health sector served more than 200,000 people through local clinics, community health workers and mobile brigades. These efforts are part of a wider resilient infrastructure project, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Human Development and with technical support from UN-Habitat.
Gorongosa, devastated by civil war between 1977-92, has been revitalised since 2008 thanks to joint management between the government and the Carr Foundation. This collaboration has boosted social and conservation projects, increasing the animal population from 10,000 to more than 102,000.
The organisation also says that the ongoing projects are essential to guaranteeing the sustainability of local communities, promoting social and economic development in the region.
