"Dar as Mãos"
("Give a hand")

"Dar as Mãos" is a non-profit organization on the Cape Verdean island of Santo Antão, which has set itself the goal of improving the lives of the people in the remote, 1000 person village of Tarrafal de Monte Trigo in ways which can be felt; in ways which enrich the lives there. Nine individuals from Tarrafal founded "DaM" in July 2014.

• We want to improve medical care.
• We want to improve the social situation.
• We want to do something for education and training in Tarrafal.
• We are committed to conservation and environmental protection.
• We want cultural exchange. 

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Activities DAM

2014

April - December:

• Bandaging material provided for the health centre in Tarrafal and distributed in Monte Trigo
• Warm children’s clothing distributed in the mountain villages of Bolona and Sul
• Various items of clothing distributed in Tarrafal School supplies presented to primary-school teachers in Tarrafal and Bolona

November / December:

• A set of first-aid equipment and other resources purchased for Tarrafal’s health centre

December:

• Christmas party (with presents) for the children held at the sports centre

2015

March / April:

• Four-week working visit to Tarrafal by a German general practitioner
• Medication and small items of equipment provided for the health centre
• Participation in the health fair in Tarrafal

April – December:

• The website (www.damtarrafal.com) is created

June:

• Contribution to funding of playground in Covão (Tarrafal)

October - December:

• Partial sponsorship (1,000 – 2,000 ESC) of four Tarrafal secondary-school pupils

December:

• Our NGO (‘ONG DaM’) and its website are publicly presented in Tarrafal
• Fundraising campaign ‘Help us to help others’ launched (information about the activities and aims of ‘DaM’ in German, French, English and Portugese, with ‘piggy bank’ collection boxes in all holiday accommodation in Tarrafal)
• Christmas presents distributed to children at the nursery and primary school
• Christmas presents distributed to senior citizens

2016

January - December:

• Partial sponsorship (1,000 – 2,000 ESC) of four Tarrafal secondary-school pupils

February:

• Tarrafal health centre is equipped with a dentist’s chair (on indefinite loan)

June:

• Presents distributed to children at the nursery and the primary school to mark International Children’s Day

July:

• Further resources donated to the health centre (defibrillator, medical emergency kit, a patient table, etc.)

August:

• Two-week working visit by 12 dentists belonging to ‘SMILES’, a Spanish NGO; dental treatment provided in Tarrafal, Monte Trigo and four remote mountain villages (Bolona, Ribeira das Patas, Alto Mira and Ribeira da Cruz)

September / October:

• An academic ‘mapping of necessities’ study, to determine Tarrafal inhabitants’ most pressing needs, begins

October:

• 12 pupils provided with all they need for primary school; 15 other pupils provided with small items for school use (pens/pencils, exercise books, etc.)

December:

• Warm clothing for children and adults distributed in the mountain villages of Bolona and Sul
• Various items of clothing distributed in Tarrafal Christmas presents distributed to children at the nursery

2017

January:

• Tarrafal’s head nurse pays a working visit to Bolona together with the chair of DaM