Mozambique: Health Ministry in Maratane Camp and Beyond
In July, a medical team from Norton Shores, Michigan—representing Global Partners Health Network and Wayfinders Africa—spent a week in northern Mozambique serving alongside local leaders in the Maratane Refugee Camp and surrounding villages. The team focused on strengthening health access, education, and relationships within a vulnerable and underserved population.
At the Maratane District Hospital, the team met with hospital leadership and staff. Despite their strong commitment to patient care, the facility faces serious limitations following the loss of key external funding and now operates with minimal government support. The maternity ward is especially strained, with staff managing multiple births each day using only basic equipment and space. The team toured the maternity, emergency, laboratory, and other departments and presented a generous donation of medical supplies. GPHN is especially grateful to Through These Hands in Pennsylvania for their ongoing partnership and tireless work to equip under-resourced health systems around the world.
Patience educating and encouraging women of Natitti.
The team also conducted health education sessions in both the camp and neighboring villages, covering topics such as women’s hygiene, maternal nutrition, and mental health. One particularly impactful session in the village of Natitti involved over 100 women and children. Patience, a local interpreter and educator, demonstrated how to make a nutrient-dense porridge using ingredients grown by the Makua people—combining encouragement and health education with practical nutrition intervention.
The team met families caring for children with severe disabilities and no access to therapy or transportation. In response, two pediatric wheelchairs were sourced and delivered through local partners. At a nearby church, almost 300 individuals received reading glasses during a vision clinic. The team also explored partnership opportunities with the Social Affairs Department of Maratane Refugee Camp, discussing a locally led initiative that produces reusable menstrual pads—a sustainable and dignity-enhancing public health solution.
Though the trip lasted just one week, it was part of a larger vision: to cultivate a long-term, relationship-based partnership with those in Mozambique who are faithfully serving their communities. GPHN is committed to walking alongside local leaders—supporting their efforts to bring healing and hope through compassionate, sustainable healthcare. This trip was one more step in building trust, listening well, and strengthening a shared mission to care for the people of Mozambique.