How Medical Teams Are Improving Hygiene, Nutrition, and Wellness in Mozambique

This past July, a team of four dedicated medical professionals from Norton Shores, Michigan partnered with WayFinders Africa to strengthen community health in northern Mozambique.

They arrived with essential medical supplies for the hospital at the Maratane Refugee Camp—but even more valuable was the knowledge and training they shared.

Joining the team was our trusted partner, friend, and community leader, Patience (pictured). Her wisdom and leadership shaped every part of the trip. Patience taught local mothers how to prepare a nutritious porridge using grains they can grow themselves.

As women gathered around an open fire to cook a large batch together, they not only learned new skills—they shared a meal that symbolized dignity, empowerment, and hope.

In one small village, beneath the wide shade of a cashew tree, the team gathered with a group of Makua and refugee women to share lessons on hygiene, infant nutrition, and mental health.

Melissa Wynsma, NP (pictured), along with other team members, led the conversations—blending practical guidance with stories that sparked laughter, curiosity, and connection.

The women leaned in, asked thoughtful questions, and offered their own experiences, turning the training into a true exchange of wisdom and trust.

The villages surrounding the refugee camp are home to indigenous Makua families who face many of the same challenges as the refugees: preventable illnesses, food insecurity, and limited access to basic health education.

Because these communities are more isolated, they often have even fewer resources. For the Makua, simple knowledge—how to prevent infection, how to store food safely, how to nourish children—can mean the difference between sickness and health.

Though this was just one week in Mozambique, it was another essential building block in the much larger work unfolding through WayFinders Africa.

Your ongoing support—no matter the size—enables our teams to bring practical training, life-saving information, and the love of Christ to remote communities like these.

Transformation often begins in simple, quiet places: under a cashew tree, beside a cooking fire, in conversations between women determined to build a better future. Thank you for making this work possible.

Written by Dr. Scott Addison, a member of the board for WayFindersAfrica.

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