The Norwegian Embassy and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on 30 August in Maputo signed a US$10 million funding agreement to support a project on learning, protection and empowerment of children and adolescents in northern Mozambique. The three-year project will be implemented by UNICEF in the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula.
The project will support 50,000 children and adolescents between six and 19 who are out of school in rural areas affected by the humanitarian crisis, with the objective of breaking down the barriers that stop them from developing their potential.
The memorandum was signed by the Ambassador of Norway, Haakon Gram-Johannessen, and the UNICEF Representative in Mozambique, Maria Fornara.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Ambassador stated that his country is committed to working with the Mozambican government on projects that contribute, among other priorities, to building peace and social cohesion. "This project aims, among other things, to provide access to a safe learning environment through the rehabilitation of schools and the establishment of multipurpose centres where children and youth can come together to learn life skills and for assistance and counselling in general", he explained.
According to the diplomat, to make a difference in conflict-ridden societies, "there is a need for long-term investments that empower children and adolescents as agents of change". "This is the best way to ensure human rights and gender equality for social cohesion and peacebuilding", he added.
For her part, Maria Fornara said the support will mitigate the impact of the humanitarian crisis within communities, saving children in particular. The ten million dollars "will allow UNICEF to work closely with the Mozambican Government to support work with children and communities and service providers, to ensure the implementation of quality learning and protection approaches focused on children aged between six and twelve", Fornara said. At the same time, the resources would enable UNICEF to implement interventions with vulnerable adolescents, working through community platforms and addressing systematic barriers that hinder learning and protection for children aged 13 to 18.
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The Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry, Abel Assis, who witnessed the event, said that the funding from Norway represents the commitment of the cooperation partners to fight poverty in Mozambique. "The agreement we have just witnessed is an unequivocal demonstration of the alignment and coordination that exists between our partners and the Mozambican Government in the framework of the synergies needed to allow greater efficiency and effectiveness of our humanitarian response and anti-poverty actions", he said.
