The people of the villages around Topuito have welcomed us into their homes, allowing us to develop the Topuito Isles Retreat with their support. In return, we are helping them to develop themselves and their communities so that they can can live better, more fulfilling lives. We do this through a number of community projects designed to educate, train and guide towards the goal of sustainable living.
 
We have committed ourselves to the following programmes to help the people of Larde Village community, a village on the banks of the Larde River with some 8000 people. 

Improvements to school infrastructures:
We are offering a number of materials and staff time to build the roof and school furniture such as desks and chairs and our carpentry will also be responsible for making new windows and doors for the primary school in Larde. In the name of good eco practice offcuts and scrap wood from the Topuito project will be used.

Formation and facilitation of a community association:
Together with ORAM, an NGO based in Nampula, we are helping the people of Larde to form a community association through which all social and other issues are dealt with. This empowers the people of Larde to take responsibility for their own lives and circumstances.

Natural resource education
We hope to set up a programme by which the people of Larde and its surrounds can learn more about what natural resources they available and how to care for these precious resources.

The chicken and egg project:
A very successful community project throughout Nampula province, we aim to help willing local entrepeneurs to set up successful chicken businesses. People in the programme receive initial financial aid and help in setting up their own chicken business with the provision of chicks, feed and the materials for chicken houses.
Some interested parties may choose to raise hen layers and start an egg business which will work in much the same way with initial financial support in acquiring materials and chicks and also some basic training.

Clinic infrastructure improvements:
The clinic at Larde provides medical treatment for all the people of Larde. The clinic also has a dispensary. At the moment the clinic buildings are in a state of disrepair and some not even useable.
In consultation with the community and Mozmed, we aim to provide repairs to the existing buildings, repair the water pump, construct additional working toilets, provide extra matresses and maternity beds.

Football pitch improvements:
Sport plays a major role in the wellbeing of any community. Football is the most common sport played in this part of Mozambique and there are many football teams in the Larde community. In order to help the Larde football leagues to continue to provide entertainment, sense of belonging and goodwill in the community we have offered to help improve the football pitch. This will include  repairing and upgrading the nets, construction of secondary seating and provision of sporting equipment such as balls, whistles etc. 

Skills training:
In order to meet our objective of giving all local people the equal opportunity to find employment and personal capacity growth through the Topuito Isles development we are committed to providing skills training in such areas as English language, carpentry, plumbing, construction, and hospitality.

Coconut by-products programme:
It is known that coconut by-products like milk, oil and flesh can be valuable. It is also possible to manufacture cosmetics like soaps, lotions from the coconut by-products. There are plenty of coconut palms growing in the Larde community area and with correct techniques and knowledge there is a wonderful opportunity for extra income from these by-products.

Assistance to the elderly:
The elderly find it difficult to receive the care and food they often need. It has been decided that we can form an association within the community through which we can collect money to prepare meals, while we will also donate food from which at least one good meal a day can be prepared for the elderly.