Inspirational stories Education

We work for decades in poor rural areas. While promoting education for development, we come across several inspirational stories education. These are some of our NGO stories:

Inácio F. has been the mission manager in Mangunde since 2009, but his path has not always been easy. It would have been easier to give up studying. Despite all the difficulties he encountered on the way when he was younger, it was with much effort and perseverance that Inácio continued his studies and today he is a manager and teacher.

Inácio, born into a humble family, the son of farmers, comes from Chinica, Chibabava district, a rural area with few services and few schools. It was very difficult for the family to pay for his studies. He only had one pair of slippers, some trousers, shorts and a shirt. He started school in Chinica and knew that he wanted to study, but he had to move in with other family members a few times to get ahead in his studies.

When he reached secondary school, he studied at the mission in Mangunde. During the holiday period, he rarely visited his family who encouraged him to leave school and get married when he was only in 8th grade. For the family, it was his duty as the eldest son and “school would not get him anywhere”. So, during holidays he would stay at the mission doing work in the farmers’ fields so as to earn some money to cover his study expenses. His first job with ESMABAMA was in 2009 in radio communication, when having mobile phone reception in the area was still a mirage.

Manager Inácio benefited from a UCM “distance learning” scholarship through ESMABAMA, with funding from Sei So Frei, to pursue a degree in Geography. Today he is also a teacher contracted by the Mozambican State at Mangunde Secondary School. To his students, he tells his story to encourage them not to give up studying.

inspirational story
I consider ESMABAMA as my savior... I never expected to be a graduate.
inspirational story
Inácio Filipe
Manager at Mangunde Mission

Other academic success stories – inspirational stories education

Teacher Jossefa, is one of the special education success stories.

He is a young man with motor and visual impairment, and was one of the young people supported by the PEPI project implemented by ESMABAMA, and funded by Light for the world. After finishing the 4th grade neither he nor his family thought he would be able to continue his studies, due to prejudice in the community. But the head of the boarding school in Mangunde, Vasco M., sensitized the family and explained that Jossefa could have a future and that they could trust the Mangunde Mission to take good care of him. In his visits to the community, Vasco found children aged 12 and 15 with disabilities who never went to school because their families thought this would not be possible. Vasco motivated Jossefa to study, to believe in himself and in a better future, to dream. When he finished grade 12 Josefa had no doubts about continuing his studies, with a scholarship supported by ESMABAMA. Today, Josefa is a teacher in Toronga, near Mangunde.


Machanga Middle Agrarian Institute

We travel to Machanga for more inspirational stories about education. In a competition organized by the Mozambican state, with funding from the World Bank, the Machanga Middle Agrarian Institute, one of the schools of agriculture managed by ESMABAMA, was awarded a grant that will allow it to implement a short course project from 2022. Courses will be given in agriculture, chicken breeding, food processing and accounting. This was an initiative of the Machanga Middle Agrarian Institute itself, which shows the power of local actions for sustainability. Machanga was concerned to include young people from the most disadvantaged districts of Sofala and Manica as the target of these courses, in order to give more opportunities to vulnerable young people with fewer opportunities. With this initiative, we hope to have soon more success stories of students and contribute to sustainable development in the region.

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