Rahmat, 9, loves school. At her inclusive school in Mozambique, she receives support tailored to her disability, which causes motor and speech difficulties.

Rahmat is in Year 4 at Benfica Nova primary school—an inclusive school supported by Humanity & Inclusion. She loves school and can't wait to go—pestering her father to take her even when it is closed. Rahmat especially loves reading exercises and even dreams of becoming a teacher when she grows up.

In class, she likes to meet up with her best friend, Joana.

"We play together all the time,” Rahmat says. “She helps me in class and goes with me when I have to go to the toilet."

Learning to write

Due to her disability, Rahmat couldn’t learn to write like the other children; holding a pencil is difficult for her. Rahmat’s teacher, Marta, has been trained by Humanity & Inclusion teams to use inclusive teaching methods. She accompanies Rahmat every day and provides her with personalized activities, including exercises for her writing grip. Over time, Rahmat is gradually learning to use a pencil.

“I still have a bit of trouble writing because my hands shake,” she explains. “I often have to rub out words and write them again. My teacher is teaching me to write the date, my first name and the name of the school.”

With the help of Humanity & Inclusion, Rahmat also receives psychological and learning support through the implementation of educational activities. She will also be receiving speech therapy soon to help her speak more clearly.

Her family's support

Ali, Rahmat’s father, no longer works. He spends a lot of time looking after his daughter.

"Our financial situation is difficult," he explains. "My daughter has many difficulties and special needs, and we have to take good care of her. Now that she can go to school, I have more time to look for a job. For me, it is important for my daughter to be empowered and socially emancipated. School should be inclusive—as should the rest of society!”

Hilario is a physical education teacher at Benfica Nova School in Mozambique, who also lives with a visual disability. With training from Humanity & Inclusion, his classes include a range of inclusive activities.

Hilario, who was born with a visual disability, has always loved sports and teaching. It only made sense for him to become a physical education teacher—and a Paralympic athlete.

When he started his job, Hilario faced challenges because the school was not adapted to his disability.

“In the beginning, we used paper timecards; the boxes were very small and I had real trouble reading them,” he says. “It was the same with the attendance books – the signature space was too small. It was exhausting. I talked to the school administration about it and now we've switched to a digital format, which is more comfortable for me.”

When it comes to teaching, Hilario has no trouble at all.

“I use theoretical rules and practical examples to help students understand my lessons,” he explains. 

Training teachers to promote inclusion

Hilario did not have the opportunity to attend an inclusive school growing up, so he understands that children with disabilities can feel left out.

“As a student, I was accepted in class, but nothing was done to make me feel really included,” he adds.

Hilario has received inclusive education training from Humanity & Inclusion’s teams, and he hopes more educators learn inclusive practices for teaching students with and without disabilities.

"They taught us methods and gave us tips on how to include students with disabilities in our lessons," he explains. “I found it very instructive and now I can apply what I learned in my daily work. I can make sure that all my students have access to quality inclusive education.”

Passionate about his job, Hilario feels that his professional life has strengthened his autonomy and self-esteem.

“I chose to be a teacher so that I could make a difference through my work,” he continues. “My job is very fulfilling.” 

Paralympics experience

In addition to teaching, Hilario is also an athlete. He completed as a runner in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics runner.

“It was an amazing experience”, Hilario recalls. “I worked very, very hard to compete, but it wasn't just about competing or winning. It’s also really important to build strong relationships with your colleagues, so that you can celebrate these special moments together. As I’m a very sociable person, I talked to everyone. I tried to help my teammates. I was part masseur, part coach and part psychologist.” 

Shelcia is joyful and intelligent, with dreams of becoming a doctor one day.

Born with a disability that prevents her from walking on her own, Shelcia, 8, uses a wheelchair to move around. She lives with her parents and cousin in Matola, a suburb of Maputo, Mozambique.

Shelcia loves going to school and playing with her friends. She’s currently in Year 3 at the Patrice Lumumba primary school, an inclusive school with teaches trained in providing specific support to students with disabilities.

“My teacher is great," she says. "My classmates are also very nice. They help me during class and at playtime; we all have fun together. During playtime, I like to stay in the classroom and make my friends laugh. I have thousands of friends at school!”

Going to school has completely changed Shelcia’s life. She has discovered a real appetite for learning.

“I love going to school," Shelcia explains. "I love to learn. I already know how to count, and now I'm learning to write vowels."

Shelcia is full of ambition and there is no stopping her. She wants to become a doctor with the clear goal of helping other children. Her father, Ananias, shares her ambition.

"My daughter is very intelligent,” he says. “I know she’ll continue her studies and go to university.”

Special support for learning

Shelcia used to have trouble writing because her wheelchair prevented her from sitting at a desk. Through its inclusive education project, Humanity & Inclusion met with her family members who were determined to find a solution. Her father made her a personalized desk by fitting a wooden board to her wheelchair. Now, her notebook and textbooks are at the right height and her hands are free to write.

Ananias also requested extra assistance for Shelcia to help her develop her abilities and continue her schooling. Cristina and Gláucia, members of the Humanity & Inclusion’s team in Mozambique, provide her with specific support and organize regular coaching and information sessions, in person or by telephone.

“They often come to the house, and are a great help to me,” Ananias says. “They are my pillars.”

Students help each other

Shelcia's school is a bit far from her home, so her father and cousin help her get there on time.

"My daughter can get around at home or at school, no problem,” Ananias explains. “But it’s more difficult for her to use public transport because people ignore her disability. They don’t help her to get on the bus, for example.” 

At school, though, Shelcia’s teachers and classmates are accepting and helpful.

“The fact that the school is inclusive is very important because it’s a step towards the inclusion of children with disabilities,” Ananias continues. “In an inclusive school, children are taught to help and support each other. In this way, other children learn that disability does not make you different.”

Displaced by recent fighting in Palma, families are in urgent need of access to water, food and shelter. Humanity & Inclusion’s teams are assisting pregnant women, older people, people with disabilities, children and vulnerable populations.

Approximately 3,000 people have been displaced following attacks by armed groups on the town of Palma in northern Mozambique since March 24. 

“Many people are terrified by the attacks and have gone into hiding, without access to food or water," says Marco Tamburro, Humanity & Inclusions program director in Mozambique. “Humanitarian response to the crisis must take into account the most vulnerable and ensure no one is left behind. The aid effort should guarantee vulnerable people, such as people with disabilities and older people, receive the support they desperately need.”

Humanity & Inclusion just completed a needs assessment in two Cabo Delgado districts that are heavily affected by movement of displaced people. 

People with disabilities often have difficulty accessing humanitarian aid. Humanity & Inclusion is setting up a disability working group in Pemba with two local organizations, FAMOD and AIFO. This group will monitor displaced people, identify people with disabilities from Palma, determine their needs and ensure they are included in the emergency response.

Since 2017, a total of 670,000 people have fled violence in the region.

Image: A refugee family stand outside a home in northern Mozambique. Copyright: HI

Following the terror attacks in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province, Humanity & Inclusion expresses deep concern over the humanitarian needs of vulnerable populations: Pregnant women, older people, people with disabilities and children are among those displaced by recent fighting.

Around 3,000 people have been displaced following last week’s brutal attacks by insurgents on the city of Palma and surrounding areas. Since 2017, a total of 670,000 people are displaced due to the violence. The exact number of casualties after the recent violence is unclear as many people are still unaccounted for. 

"Many people are terrified of being attacked and are in hiding, which means they no access to food or water," explains Marco Tamburro, HI Program Director in Mozambique. "It is vital that the response to this crisis takes into consideration the access to support for the most vulnerable groups, ensuring no one is left behind. Efforts to provide humanitarian aid must ensure the most vulnerable people, such as people with disabilities and older people receive the support they so desperately need." 

According to an assessment Humanity & Inclusion conducted in two Cabo Delgado districts heavily impacted by the movement of people fleeing violence, before the recent attack in Palma:

• 16% of the households of displaced people declared having a member with a disability and/or chronic needs
• 22% of people with disabilities declared their disability was due to the conflict

Children make up 45% of the displaced people, and many are unaccompanied. Among the most vulnerable groups are also pregnant women, older people and people with disabilities.

"We are calling for the support of international donors," Tamburro added. "HI identified the top three humanitarian priorities as food, shelter and access to drinking water – these are resources which need to be urgently funded, especially during the global pandemic. We must ensure every single person is considered in the humanitarian response. We must also consider the long term impacts of this violence. Psychosocial support is essential to help people rebuild their lives and we will work to implement an accessible referral mechanism so that people can reach out and receive the support they require."

Cyclone Idai struck Mozambique on March 14, 2019 killing more than 600 people, injuring more than 1,600, and leaving nearly two million in need of humanitarian assistance. 

Humanity & Inclusion’s donors stepped up, allowing Humanity & Inclusion to help survivors by reinforcing capacity and ensuring that hard-to-reach neighborhoods receive vital aid, distributing non-food items to the most vulnerable households, and providing psychosocial support to those who need it most. Read our update from the six-month mark.

Here’s just a snapshot of some of the work our teams have been able to accomplish in the past year.  

Including preschoolers with disabilities

Humanity & Inclusion’s team supported the reconstruction of a community-based preschool in Mozambique and added-in an accessible play area. Our team also provided support to local organizations to ensure that the preschool is inclusive for children with disabilities. Children have a higher learning capacity in primary school when they are able to attend a preschool, so not only is this preschool providing that huge benefit, but it also ensures children with disabilities can learn and be independent as they grow, inside and outside the classroom.

Access to water for all

Zacarias (pictured below), 88, lost all of his belongings when Cyclone Idai struck his home in Mafarinha, Donda. He had to fetch water from an insecure well, one mile from his home. Humanity & Inclusion's teams are making it easier for people with disabilities, like Zacarias, who has difficulty seeing, to access water. We're providing more access points to water and inclusive sanitation spots in Beira, with support from the Provincial Board of Public Works and Housing of Sofala. Once all of the access points are complete, more than 600 families in Mozambique will benefit from inclusive sanitary facilities!

Inclusive employment for a single mother

Cyclone Idai destroyed Dona Lucia’s (pictured below) house where she and her five children lived. A Humanity & Inclusion team member meets with her regularly to provide livelihoods support. Dona Lucia was integrated into a productive social action program and through that project, she started her own business in sales. With support from a local neighborhood project and Humanity & Inclusion, she was able to rebuild her home! Humanity & Inclusion's teams are providing inclusive employment support to other individuals in Mozambique, like Dona Lucia, giving them dignity, independence, and a decent working wage. 

Humanity & Inclusion in Mozambique

Since 1986, our teams have been working in Mozambique. In addition to addressing the needs that emerged following Cyclone Idai, our team of 40 work diligently to ensure all children have access to education, support civil society to improve the social inclusion of people with disabilities, and more. Learn more about Humanity & Inclusion's work in Mozambique.

Humanity & Inclusion in Mozambique

Since 1986, our teams have been responding to issues resulting from the country’s 25-year long civil war. 

Since peace agreements were signed in 1992, Mozambique has embarked on a series of political, economic, and administrative reforms. The country is recovering thanks to economic growth, backed by the international community and private investment. However, the biggest threat to stable growth is the rampant spread of HIV/AIDS, poor sanitary conditions, and a very low standard of education.

Humanity & Inclusion's 36-person team works in Mozambique to improve access to and the quality of education for children with disabilities, and promote reproductive and sexual health education to teenagers.

Areas of Intervention

• Inclusive Education
• Health

In Mozambique, Humanity & Inclusion promotes access to quality education for children with disabilities. It assesses teachers’ training needs and delivers complementary modules on inclusive education during their teacher training. The organization also works directly with schools to make them fully inclusive and to demonstrate the positive impact of a system that includes and encourages children with disabilities.

Humanity & Inclusion works to increase access to sexual reproductive health and rights and services among teenagers, prioritizing the most underserved women and girls.

Donate today

Our Past Work

Humanity & Inclusion has been in Mozambique since 1986, fostering a culture of dignity, access, and inclusion for people with disabilities. Over time, we have evolved our work to meet the dynamic needs of the communities where we serve. 

Read on to learn more about our past work in Mozambique, and consider investing in our future.

Cyclone Idai Response

On March 14, 2019, Cyclone Idai struck Mozambique, killing more than 600 people, injuring more than 1,600, and leaving nearly 2 million in need of humanitarian assistance. Our team assisted people in rebuilding their livelihoods. Humanity & Inclusion worked to ensure access to clean, safe water and to include people with disabilities throughout the recovery period. Humanity & Inclusion also worked alongside communities to prepare for future disasters and develop an inclusive emergency response.

Mine Clearance

For nearly ten years, teams of Humanity & Inclusion deminers and specially trained dogs were used to clear landmines. This program ended as the country declared itself mine-free in September 2015. 

Victim Assistance

Partnering with districts, NGOs, and service providers, Humanity & Inclusion helped improve the quality of life for survivors of mine accidents and their families by performing a mine survivor needs assessment and promoting a victim aid plan. 

Supporting Organizations of Persons with Disabilities

Humanity & Inclusion helped improve the effectiveness of two social support centers by teaching members how to apply for funding and implement specific projects. 

Literacy

Humanity & Inclusion promoted literacy among people with disabilities in Mozambique by creating inclusive adult reading centers and supporting the “literacy for everyone” campaign on the local and national levels. 

Advocacy Through the Arts

To promote the importance of fully including people with disabilities in society, Humanity & Inclusion curated al multidisciplinary show called Incluarte with a company that included a diverse cast of people with and without disabilities

Watch a video about the 2014 Inclurarte performance.

Resilience and Social Protection

Humanity & Inclusion helped even more people with disabilities get access to social and health centers by supporting Information, Orientation, and Social Support Centers (SIOCS).

Become a monthly donor

In March and April 2019, two consecutive tropical cyclones struck Mozambique. Their winds, rains, and storm surges left a trail of death, injuries, damage, and destruction in their wake. Cyclone Idai, which first struck the city of Beira on March 14, was one of the worst tropical storms on record to affect Africa, and caused catastrophic damage to schools, homes, businesses, and crops. While the storms are long gone, their impact is still palpable: with so many crops ruined, food is scarce, and any expected farming income is gone.

Emergency response

Humanity & Inclusion’s team organized a humanitarian response in the first 24 hours of the emergency. With an office and team in the country since 1986, we mobilized to meet the needs on the ground, with support from local partners.

Once the extent of the destruction was clear to our team, we deployed a logistics expert to strengthen the team already in Beira. Our goal was to understand the immediate needs of the population affected by the storm, with a particular focus on people with disabilities—individuals who are often left on the sidelines during an emergency response.

Six months later

Residents of Beira and the surrounding regions are still recovering from the effects of the Cyclone. Thanks to their resilience, and to Humanity & Inclusion donors for fueling our actions in the collective humanitarian effort, life is slowly returning to normal. But our work won't end until the community is fully back on its feet again. 

Over the long term, the goal of the HI Mozambique team is to provide a sustained humanitarian response to people affected by Cyclone Idai. We will continue to work with those identified as highly vulnerable in order to improve their resilience and mitigate the short and long term impacts of future disasters like this.

Humanity & Inclusion in Mozambique

Humanity & Inclusion has worked in Mozambique since 1986, and is best known there for its work helping victims of landmines and other explosive ordnance left from the country’s civil war. We ran a large demining operation that wrapped up when the country declared itself mine free in 2015. Most recently, staff worked to promote the rights and social participation of people with disabilities, to support civil society to improve the social inclusion of people with disabilities, and in particular to see more children with disabilities enjoy learning in inclusive classrooms! 

Learn more about our work in Mozambique.

Since Cyclone Idai struck Mozambique in mid-March, residents of Beira’s poorest municipalities have faced an uphill struggle to meet their daily needs—food, water, shelter, and health care. Thanks to support from USAID and our donors, Humanity & Inclusion is providing essential aid to the most vulnerable.

Humanity & Inclusion in Mozambique

Humanity & Inclusion has been working in Mozambique since 1986, and is best known there for our work helping victims of landmines and other explosive ordnance left from the country’s civil war. We ran a large demining operation that wrapped up when the country declared itself mine free in 2015. Most recently, staff work to promote the rights and social participation of people with disabilities, support civil society to improve the social inclusion of people with disabilities, and prevent the development of disabilities. 

Since Cyclone Idai struck Mozambique in mid-March, residents of Beira’s poorest municipalities, the ‘barrios,’ have faced an uphill struggle to meet their daily needs—food, water, shelter, and health care.

Humanity & Inclusion’s Atlas Logistics team coordinated the immediate clean-up efforts in these forgotten communities. It was essential to remove debris created by the storm so that humanitarian actors, including HI, could access hard-to-reach areas to deliver aid. Over five weeks, our logistics unit employed 443 local residents, half of whom are women.

Ensuring vulnerable families are included

Today, these impoverished communities face the daunting task of rebuilding. For vulnerable individuals, people with disabilities, older adults, and single mothers, finding the resources to repair or rebuild their homes is even more challenging. That’s why Humanity & Inclusion’s team is identifying vulnerable families in need and providing them with vital support.

Distributing shelter repair kits

Over the next three weeks, we will distribute 2,500 standard shelter repair kits which includes the following items: tarpaulin, rope, nails, washers, hoe, machete, saw, shovel, and hammer

Humanity & Inclusion’s activities

Completed

• Debris removal to provide access to all main roads
• Debris removal in 11 districts of Beira city
• Surveillance and creation of 6 road access maps—shared with all humanitarian actors

Ongoing

• Distribution of 2,500 shelter repair kits to the most vulnerable residents of 10 districts in Beira city
• Distribution of 815 essential household item kits to Humanity & Inclusion’s existing beneficiaries

Humanity & Inclusion in Mozambique

Humanity & Inclusion has been working in Mozambique since 1986, and is best known there for our work helping victims of landmines and other explosive ordnance left from the country’s civil war. We ran a large demining operation that wrapped up when the country declared itself mine free in 2015. Most recently, staff work to promote the rights and social participation of people with disabilities, support civil society to improve the social inclusion of people with disabilities, and prevent the development of disabilities.