History
Free Methodists
in Mozambique
The
first missionary from the Free Methodist Church set foot in Mozambique in 1885.
G. Harry Agnew traveled to the east coast of Africa with a vision to continue
the work of David Livingston following his death. Upon arriving at the port of
Inhambane, Agnew elected to stay on the coast as he saw the needs of the people
were significant. Free Methodists have been working in Mozambique ever since.
The Free Methodist Church in Mozambique and its ministries have been under
Mozambique national leadership since 1975.
In
1959, Dr. Marguerite Palmer, one of the first women to graduate from the
University of Washington Medical School, established the Nhaloi Hospital near
Massinga in the Inhambane province. The original hospital building was built in
1964. Under Dr. Palmer’s leadership the hospital thrived.
Government
Ownership and War
In
July of 1975 the government of Mozambique, recently independent of Portugal,
took over ownership and operation of the hospital. The government almost
immediately began a building project to
enlarge the hospital facility which was never completed. In 1976 civil war
broke out between the government FRELIMO forces and the resistance RENAMO
forces and consequently Nhaloi was on the frontlines of fighting. During the
war the hospital was shut down due to the violence and was used as barracks by
both sides. The conflict left the property in ruins and the buildings were left
unusable.
In
1990, Rev. Dean Smidderks was able to
travel to the site even though the war continued. He was the first missionary
to return, but was only able to visit and witness the devastation. Mozambican
leaders remained at Nhaloi throughout the civil war.
In
1992 the civil war ended and following free elections the Mozambique government
turned the hospital site back over to the church with the hope that the
hospital would be reopened. In the late 1990’s Mozambique was listed as the
poorest country in Africa. In the years following the war the government has
struggled to rebuild infrastructure, but has made significant progress.
Current
Situation
First Attempts
In
January of 1998, Rev. Dean Smidderks and his son Rev. Hendrik Smidderks
traveled to Nhaloi for a one week visit. At this time the buildings remained in
disarray, but the church people were expressing a commitment to rebuilding.
Later
in 1998, Dr. Matthias Furrer, a Swiss physician working in Zimbabwe, began
exploring the possibility of reopening the hospital. He and his wife, Dr.
Kathrin Furrer, made several trips to Nhaloi. They were able to make repairs to
buildings and bring in supplies that allowed the site to be used as an
infirmary or clinic.
In
years to following the Free Methodist Church of Mozambique has made modest
strides to repair and renovate the facility. Under the leadership of Bishop
Joao Uanela, there is a desire to operate the hospital for the benefit of the
surrounding area.
At
this time the Nhaloi hospital is the only hospital within walking distance for
30,000 people. At the time of Dr. Palmer’s retirement from Mozambique in 1976,
she was the only Doctor accessible to over 100,000 people. It is believed that
this number has grown to the neighborhood of 225,000. Problems persist with the
buildings, supply of medications, and staffing. There is a staff of nurses,
aides, and support personnel of 15 people who operate the clinic and a
maternity facility.
Exploratory
Team
In
July of 2012 a team of 13 people traveled from the United States to
explore the next step in developing the care available through the Nhaloi site.
The team was comprised of a medical team, a logistical team, and
building/construction team. This team worked under the direction of
Bishop Joao Uanela in cooperation with the Mozambique government.
The
Medical Team operated a clinic in Nhaloi for 2 weeks treating 177 people. They assessed medical needs including:
equipment, medication dispensation, personnel, and training.
The
Construction Team began developing a plan for completion of the hospital
facility including: hospital physical plant, water delivery, electrical power, landing
strip and aviation potential, residential needs for personnel and future teams. They found the well had ceased to function in May of 2012. The power plant had a fuel system failure.
The
Logistical Team began work on governmental cooperation, foundation
underwriting, and development of national leadership.
Foundation Creation
When the 2012 team returned to the United States, Dr. Randy Claassen, Rev. Hendrik Smidderks, and Jim Blackburn began to plan for foundation that would support and sustain the work of the Nhaloi facility. In February of 2013 "Hope and Healing Africa" was incorporated and began to work on strategy and funding for the future at Nhaloi and beyond.
This is wonderful! It was great getting to know you at the airport. We look forward to keeping in touch with you and seeing how God is moving through your hospitals to touch lives!
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