Nova Esperança School in Maputo, Mozambique, is not what Seventh-day Adventists would typically call a “center of influence.” Half hidden in a struggling working-class neighborhood of narrow dirt roads with potholes and puddles, the school includes a series of mostly well-kept buildings; its walls muffle the lively sounds of children at daily study and play.

Yet while it might not carry the official “center of influence” moniker, the school encompasses a vibrant community in which instruction and faith combine. Nova Esperança is a place of hope where learning, for this life and the life to come, takes place in a natural way that combines a deep holistic interest in the lives of the students and their families.

In early 2025 Nova Esperança School had 735 students. Only a year later that figure is closer to 900. “Only 50 of them come from Adventist homes,” reports school principal Elídio Vungo. “The rest hail from the neighborhood, from families from other Christian and non-Christian faith traditions.”

Beyond the specific faith of each family, however, parents’ motivation to send their children to Nova Esperança School is the same, Vungo emphasized. “Parents tell us that they prefer a school connected to a church that focuses on values and that they see how this school strives to instill good values in their children.”

According to chaplain Cristércio Aminosse Chipoco, the loyal faculty of the school treats their job as a mission field. “Most teachers are Adventist church members, but the few who are not have the option of receiving Bible studies from their colleagues,” he shared. “Some have already requested baptism and are now Adventists as well.”

His job as a chaplain is not only to preach but to support outreach initiatives beyond the school walls. In a place with so many needs, neighbors have come to appreciate the school even more. “We get parents involved,” Chipoco shared. “They help us put food baskets together that we then distribute among families in need.”

School leaders share that one of the pressing challenges of the school is to get books in Portuguese to teach religion classes. “Sometimes well-meaning people send us books in English,” Chipoco explained. “But we need more religion resources in Portuguese.”

For Carmen Soares, school chief financial officer, Nova Esperança faces financial headwinds. She explains that even though the students’ parents pay tuition, payments are kept as low as possible to support education in the neighborhood and beyond. “Also, not every student pays the same, as we cater to every need by providing personalized plans for families that need it,” Soares said. The school also sponsored dozens of students who otherwise could not afford to study, she added.

Growth has certainly brought challenges, acknowledged Eugénia Sawaca Chede, director of human resources. “Personnel offices are few and cramped." It is clear that investments in infrastructure have not been able to keep up with the recent increase of students, she added. “Although we have been building classrooms, it’s clear that we need more. And the school restrooms are highly inadequate for the number of students we have,” Sawaca Chede said.

The school faces other infrastructure challenges, as in the case of its library, which lacks enough resources and can accommodate only up to 10 people at a time. Physical education classes take place on a cement court in the open, which means classes are often canceled during seasons of frequent torrential rains and extreme heat waves.

School leaders pointed out the defining role of Maranatha Volunteers International, a lay-led supporting ministry of the Adventist Church that supports church and school building initiatives and drills water wells across the world. “Maranatha’s work has been extremely fruitful,” school leaders said. “It has impacted many lives and has certainly helped reach many families through education.”

School leaders recount how almost 20 years ago Maranatha arrived in Mozambique, wishing to develop the church and school infrastructure in the country. But Maranatha leaders soon found out that in many places water for drinking, cooking, and construction was scarce. “Simply put, many building initiatives were just not feasible under those levels of water access,” they shared.

At the time, that pressing need triggered a Maranatha-led well-drilling movement that for years now has been blessing thousands of sites not only in Mozambique and across Africa but in India and other countries. “Access to water has been a game changer across many regions,” Maranatha leaders said. “It has allowed school growth and helped many local congregations with a water well become places where communities gather to chat, learn, and connect with the church.”

At Nova Esperança School, Maranatha built a central main hall surrounded by classrooms and offices, a model that has since then been replicated across the world. The hall doubles as a local Adventist congregation on Sabbath, and the stage hides an underground baptismal pool that has welcomed probably hundreds of new members through the years.

Almost two decades later, however, there are new needs that school leaders would like to address as soon as possible. They keep praying and dreaming of a better future for their students, faculty, and the surrounding community.

“We have many dreams because we would like to reach many more people.”

Community parents appreciate the sound wholistic education students at Nova Esperança School receive, including the educators’ focus on values. Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

The main meeting hall was built by Maranatha Volunteers International. On Sabbaths it doubles as a local Adventist church, and the stage includes a baptismal pool. Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

School principal Elídio Vungo in his office. Office space throughout the school is insufficient and cramped. Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

Physical education classes take place on a cement court in the open, which means classes must be canceled often during the season of frequent torrential rains and extreme heat waves. Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

The school library lacks enough resources and can accommodate only up to 10 people at a time. Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

Since Maranatha built classrooms and offices for Nova Esperança School, regional church leaders have supported building a new classroom block, but explosive growth means students still lack the space they need to thrive. Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

Through Adventist education, many children and their families have come to know more about God and His plan for them. Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

The original article was published on the Adventist Review news site.