A New Adult Educational Project in Mozambique

A new adult educational project has begun in Mozambique’s poorest county, Inhambane. Representatives from ICEIDA and the Ministry of Education and Culture in Mozambique signed a partnership contract at the end of March and the official launch of the project was celebrated recently with festivities in Jangamo-district. The project is set for four years and the main purpose is to assist the educational authorities to improve adult education in the county.

“Among other things, three new practical courses will be held and the aim is to increase income and improve the participants’ earnings,” says Marta Einarsdóttir the Project Manager for social projects in Mozambique. “There is a course in organic vegetable cultivation, the making of cheap bricks and a business course for single workers who buy and sell various products. Four new courses will also be organised in collaboration with the local educational authorities. One will focus on the dissemination of information regarding human rights and equal rights, another on health and prevention against diseases such as AIDS and malaria and the third on better treatment and usage of crops and food. The courses will be taught as supplementary courses in the adult education classes that are already in place and that is expected to increase the participation in adult education in the district. Also, the educational authorities will get assistance in improving conventional adult education with the training of teachers, purchasing of course material and increased assistance with and supervision of the adult education classes. In addition, ICEIDA is going to assist the authorities with an extension of housing and the raising of a training and educational centre for the district,” says Marta.

The signing of the contract took place at a large ceremony on March 28 in Maputo, Mozambique’s capital. The undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Maria Albertina da Conceição Bila signed on the behalf of the Mozambique Government and Jóhann Pálsson, ICEIDA’s Country Director in Mozambique, on the behalf of Iceland. Rev. Pedro Baptista the head of the Education and Culture Office in Inhambane, João da Silva de Conceição Barretto District Chief in Jangamo and Flora Augusto the head of educational matters in Jangamo district were also present along with ten employees of the Ministry of Education and three employees of ICEIDA.