MCC Service Opportunity
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Assignment Title: Machanga English Teacher
FTE:
1
Agency:
Location:
Machanga / Sofala, Mozambique
Term:
1-2 years
Start Date: Oct/19/2015
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All MCC workers are expected to exhibit a commitment to: a personal Christian faith and discipleship;
active church membership; and biblical nonviolent peacemaking.
MCC is an equal opportunity employer, committed to employment equity. MCC values diversity and invites
all qualified candidates to apply.
Synopsis:
The Machanga English Language Teacher will teach English to students at the Vocational school of Machanga,
residents of the Machanga Girls Center and community members.
Qualifications:
1. English speaker with an interest in sharing English skills in school or community settings.
2. Experience and/or certification in teaching English as a Second Language.
3. Flexibility and patience to work with a variety of students with diverse backgrounds, literacy levels and interest.
4. Flexibility and patience to work in an environment of frequent change and adjustment to plans.
5. Willingness to live and work in a rural/small town setting of very few material resources.
6. Willingness to live as a member of a Mozambican household during orientation, new ways of living, customs,
foods, communication patterns, modes of travel and modes of worship.
7. Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team, and also independently.
8. Ability and willingness to learn Portuguese essential.
9. Willingness to participate in a local church.
Assignment Narrative:
In 2002, The United Church of Christ in Mozambique - American Board started a Girls Center in Machanga to
allow rural girls the opportunity to get secondary education. There was a boys' dormitory for the only secondary
school in the entire district, but none for girls. Supported by MCC's Global Family program, the center provides
basic food and lodging, and the girls attend the local government high school in morning and afternoon shifts.
A SALT/YAMEN participant is placed at the Girl's Center.
In 2010, American Board church started building the vocational/agricultural school. The school opened this
year with 6-month community courses, with the goal of eventually being able to offer a secondary school
education along with an agriculture degree. While eventually the school will be staffed by local teachers,
including for teaching English, during this transitional period the partner has requested an English teacher
to strengthen its programming.
The English teacher will be teaching 6-month English courses to community members. The majority of the
students will have limited English skills, and basic literacy skills may be lacking, though there is much
enthusiasm to learn and practice. The educational system is in Portuguese, the national language,
and initial language study will help the service worker begin communicating in Portuguese. The local
language in Machanga is Ndau, closely related to the Shona language of Zimbabwe and western
Mozambique.
The school year in Mozambique runs from mid-January to the end of October (exams go into December).
Currently there is an agricultural extensionist who will be in Machanga until December 2015. A YAMENer is
placed at the Girl's Center through July 2016.
Depending on other MCC workers the service worker could either live next to the church in a subdivided house
(the pastor's family lives in the other half) or with a family in the community or other rental housing in the
community. He/She will work under the guidance of the local ICUM Pastor. Additional guidance will come from
José Francisco Madeira, the Executive President of the ICUM-AB in Beira. The MCC Mozambique Representative
and the MCC Mozambique team are available to help with orientation and moral support throughout the year.
Duties:
The English teacher will:
1. Provide English language instruction to students of the ICUM-American Board Vocational School
2. Provide tutoring as needed
3. Create an environment of openness and exploration in a setting of limited resources
4. Assist the school in other duties as needed, including translating reports
5. Participate in church life at the United Church of Christ, Machanga
6. Participate in the life of the MCC Mozambique team (team meetings, retreat, reports)
Location Description:
Machanga is a small town/village (the administrative center of Machanga District) on the southern edge of Sofala
Province, located about an hour off the main north/south national highway. It has district government offices, a
secondary school and a small hospital. A larger hospital is in Muxungue (about two hours north). There is limited
electricity, supplied by generators or solar panels, and steady electrical supply from the national electrical grid is
just being connected in some parts of Machanga. There is reliable cell phone coverage and therefore the
possibility of limited email and skype (via a cell phone), as well as USB internet modems or computers (though
the speed outside of town is too slow for skype). The market is quite small; there a few larger shops which carry
basic food and household items. The girls center is a 15-minute walk from the village center. The UCC church is
about 9 km from there, and the women are accustomed to walking there for Sunday services. Transportation is
limited; mini-buses do run daily between Machanga and slightly larger "towns"such as Muxungue, and to the city
of Beira. The larger town of Mambone lies directly across the river from Machanga town centre and is easily
accessible for day trips. It is about 6-8 hours by car from Machanga to Beira, where the MCC Mozambique office
is located, or longer using public transportation. Machanga is on coastal plain some 10-15 km from the Indian
Ocean and the climate is humid and hot during the rainy season from December to March - and shrimp is a
common part of the local diet. During the cool season from June to August, nights are chilly, though days are
warm. August to October becomes hot and dry. The area suffers from limited rainfall and frequent drought,
and the road and town center are subject to flooding from the nearby River Save (SAH-vee), but not the Girls'
Center. The new school is located 24 km from the twon centre on higher ground, and there is a plan to
relocate the town center there, though this process has not been gaining momentum.
Challenges:
Machanga is typical of many rural Mozambican district centers, in the degree of physical isolation and the low
level of physical infrastructure. Health risks such as malaria are similar to any other part of Mozambique, and
the worker may choose to take prophylactic medication or simply keep treatment medication on hand, in case
the health clinic would run out. The English teacher will be immersed in Mozambican life without much local
interaction with others Westerners, though there will be another MCC worker at the Center, and two U.S.
Peace Corps workers currently teach at a local school. MCC will expect the English teacher to take regular
breaks out of Machanga to relax and refresh, and MCC staff also make periodic visits to Machanga.
Though Portuguese is the official language, many people do not speak it, especially women and children. It will be
important to learn at least basic greetings in Ndau, the local language. Church services are also entirely in Ndau.
Communicating and relating to people takes work and you must extend patience not only to others, but also to
yourself.
Staples such as rice and flour can be easily obtained, but produce may be very limited (or non-existent) during
the dry season. Many Mozambicans eat diets including fish, shellfish, and other seafood, so applicants with
seafood allergies should take caution. Dairy products are expensive and not typically eaten by Mozambicans.
It is important for MCCers living in these contexts to be sensitive to the reality that their needs/wants will differ
greatly from the people with whom they live and interact. MCC Mozambique prioritizes living with what is
"sufficient" for physical and emotional well-being. It will therefore be important for the worker to take proper
care of their own health and well-being while at the same time avoid being comparatively ostentatious in lifestyle.
This particular placement will require the service worker to have the flexibility, patience and initiative to work in
situations of minimal structure and with the patience and initiative to find ways of contributing their gifts.
In 2013, incidents between the Government and Renamo have caused the security situation to deteriorate in
some places. A cease-fire has been signed. Currently the situation is uncertain but peaceful. The area of this
project has not had significant security threat. MCC Mozambique consults closely with partners in terms of
worker security and will not place workers in areas it considers to be unsafe.