Through our various programs, we aim to address the unique challenges faced by children in Mozambique. We believe in the power of education and community to bring about positive change.
Meus Direitos & Meu Futuro (MD&MF) is a small pilot project being implemented 2023 – 2025 with support from The World’s Children’s Prize Foundation, Sweden. The goals of MD&MF is to support the most vulnerable girls in Mozambique; those who have been forced into child marriage, are teen mothers and have been forced to drop out of school after the Covid-19 pandemic, and to raise awareness in entire villages, so that they gain long-term knowledge of and respect for children’s rights, girls’ equal rights, and sexual, reproductive and menstrual health and rights, and become Aldeia Amiga dos Direitos da Criança e das Meninas. Through this project, more than 100 of the most vulnerable girls have been helped to reclaim their dreams for the future, and around 5,000 people in their villages have increased their knowledge and awareness of the rights of children and girls.
“I had never heard of children’s rights before the Meus Direitos & Meu Futuro project… I didn’t realize that when my father told me to stop school, he was violating my rights. Now that I know, I tell my father that I want to go back to school. Today I have learned a lot about being a changemaker in my village, for other girls and boys where I live. I really want to be a child rights ambassador to help other girls in my area.” Girl, 16, Child Rights Ambassador
The participating vulnerable girls have learned about their rights and have become child rights ambassadors and changemakers in their villages. They have additionally received help with school uniforms, school materials and school fees. The project also includes providing the girls with training in sexual, reproductive and menstrual health and rights. They also receive training in entrepreneurship and savings, and have also received sewing machines and materials to make reusable sanitary napkins. The participating vulnerable girls give all girls in their villages four sanitary napkins in a small cotton bag (older girls can get a menstrual cup if they want) and will also sell sanitary napkins to women in surrounding villages.
The classmates of the most vulnerable girls, including the boys, are trained to become child rights ambassadors and changemakers in the village. Including training in sexual, reproductive and menstrual health and rights. Village teachers, school leaders, traditional and religious leaders, government officials and nurses, among others, are also trained as child rights ambassadors, including training in sexual, reproductive and menstrual health and rights. Together, the most vulnerable girls and their classmates, with the support of the adult child rights ambassadors, become a very strong force for change for increased respect for children's rights, including girls' equal rights, in the local community.
“The Child Rights Ambassador training has been very meaningful to me because it has given me a clear understanding of children’s rights and the importance of standing up for those who are vulnerable. For example, I now know how important it is to combat child labour, early marriage and all forms of abuse. For me, this training is more than just learning about rights – it is a chance to create positive change in my community. I feel empowered to share what I have learned with other children and adults. For example, if I see a girl dropping out of school due to family pressure, I can talk to her parents and explain why education is a right and a key to a better future.
As for my future, I believe that this training will help me grow into a responsible leader who fights for justice and equality. I now feel confident speaking up on issues such as education, gender equality and child protection. For example, I want to start small groups in my community where we can discuss these topics and encourage other children to feel to their rights and speak out. This training has shown me that I can be a changemaker, not only for myself but for others around me.” Girl, 15, Child Rights Ambassador
A comprehensive survey evaluation after the first year of the project shows that 95% (100% of the most vulnerable girls) indicate that they have gained the courage to say that girls' rights should be respected. As child rights ambassadors, the children educate others in their community about children's rights (family, neighbors, friends, etc.). On average, they have spoken to 258 people about girls' rights in particular. For example, 100% of the most vulnerable girls have spoken to their friends, family and neighbors about girls' rights to go to school. The teachers and school leaders, the informal (mainly traditional and religious) and formal leaders trained under MD&MF have gained increased knowledge and increased commitment to children's rights. 100% of the informal leaders want to encourage children to stand up for their rights, protect children's rights in their local community, protect girls from child marriage, work to put an end to cultural practices that harm children, and spread awareness in their communities about, among other things, the rights of the child, the equal rights of girls and boys and the right of all children to go to school. The formal leaders have spoken to an average of 199 people in their local communities in 2024, the informal leaders with 256 people and the teachers with an average of 227 people.
“With everything I learned here today during this training, I will be able to talk to others who did not have the opportunity to benefit from this course on children’s rights and girls’ rights. I will always take advantage of the school council meetings to talk to all parents and guardians about this important issue for our community. I will also talk to my neighbors and teach the girls about their rights and the importance of going to school.” Sofia Celestino, School Council Chair, Mapulanguene
The Sexual and Reproductive Health Education -SHARE project, started in 2023, with a duration of three years and it is implemented by SANTAC in partnership with Right to Play, WaterAid and FHI360 in Boane District in 26 schools and five communities.
It has as the ultimate goal to increase the enjoyment of health-related human rights, targeting girls and boys aged 10-19 in primary and secondary schools, as well as out-of-school adolescent girls and boys and young women and men aged 10-24, to empower them to demand better sexual and reproductive health care.
The project uses a holistic approach to improving Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights by increasing access to and quality of services, and challenging stigmas and discrimination associated with Reproductive Health. This includes working with teachers in schools to ensure positive, gender-responsive learning environments, and community health workers (CHWs) and health facilities to ensure that their services are adolescent-friendly and gender-responsive. Additionally, community members are involved in activities to increase support for adolescents and young people in accessing SRHR education and gender-responsive services.
The project will directly benefit 84,374 girls and 50,625 boys aged 10-19 in primary and secondary schools. It will also benefit 9,090 out-of-school girls and young women and 5,910 out-of-school boys and young men aged 10-24, to empower them to demand better sexual and reproductive health care. The project will target 150 primary and secondary schools, 150 teachers and 300 Junior Leaders, as well as 86 health facilities. A total of approximately 397,500 indirect beneficiaries (238,500 women) will be reached by the project.
The Project is funded by the Government of Canada. The project budget is managed by Right to Play and WaterAid, with a total of MT 3,217,121 allocated to SANTAC for salaries and administrative costs.
• Communication strategies and materials are revised and are gender-sensitive
• Trained all the project staff and created clubs in schools and communities
• Created forums and community dialogue on how to address pertinent gender issues and traditional harmful practices
• Created mechanisms of inclusion of the project themes in school curricula
• Children trained on leadership and advocacy
• Supported girls to participate in national/regional and international forums
• Organized advocacy activities in schools under the themes: Bullying and sexual harassment in schools
• The mentoring of girls’ programs for adolescents and young women to improve their decision-making on life choices is in progress in school and community clubs
• Adolescents and youth in schools and community, are trained on production of the reusable pads through the created clubs
Santac had long observed that children living in and around Limpopo National Park were subjected to violations of their rights, especially the rights of girls. Girls' voices were not listened to. Many of them were married off and forced to drop out of school. Many boys were sent to poach or work in the fields instead of going to school. Poaching is common in the area, which has had a severe impact on wildlife. Child marriage and poaching are illegal in Mozambique. Our goal was to train children, teachers and local leaders so that they could have a long-term impact on their local communities and increase respect for the rights of children, especially girls, and wildlife.
“Geração de Paz e Mudança changed my life and I am happy to be able to participate in the project in my school. Many children here did not go to school because their parents forced them to work in the fields and at home, or sent them out to poach. Many have started to come back to school. Now I can count the ones who do not come to school. But before Geração de Paz e Mudança it was almost impossible for me, because so many children did not come to school. At home, we girls continue to do most of the work, but the boys have already started to help more. When I wash the dishes, my brother knows that he will help sweep the yard. The initiation rite khomba for us girls has been stopped and we are no longer forced to get married.” Anastàcia, 14 , Cubo school
The Geração de Paz e Mudança (GPM) project was implemented in 2019-2023 in partnership with the World's Children's Prize Foundation and the Peace Parks Foundation, with support from the Swedish Postcode Lottery. The Ministério da Educação e Desenvolvimento Humano provided support for the project and the local school authorities were responsible for the logistics of our courses for children, teachers, parents and local leaders.
“My family respects my rights, but my brothers don’t help me with the housework. I grind the maize, cook, fetch water and collect firewood. My brothers only take the cattle to graze and then go to school. Many girls in the village are married off and have children before they turn 18. The parents receive ten oxen and money as lobola from the man’s family. Two of my friends, who went to sixth grade with me, are now expecting children. As an ambassador, I will talk to them and get them to return to school. I will also teach my friends at school about their rights. This is the first time we are being educated about children’s rights and girls’ rights in our district.” Sonia, 14, Matafula School
823 children in 205 schools, 43 children who were forced to drop out of school, 367 teachers, 205 parents and 50 local leaders were trained as child rights ambassadors and wildlife rights ambassadors during two-day courses. The children and teachers then trained all other 50,709 children from the age of 10 in the Limpopo area. The local leaders educated their communities. The project was also implemented by other partners across the border in the Gonarezhou National Park area in Zimbabwe. The Covid 19 pandemic delayed the implementation of the GPM, but the goal was achieved both in terms of number of participants and impact. We conducted an extensive qualitative survey with 379 children (about half were trained child rights ambassadors, others were children trained in school by the child rights ambassadors and teachers) and 279 teachers, parents and local leaders.
“Previously, many parents in our village took their sons out of school because they thought poaching was more important. Many young people died while hunting. But after our continued work in our village after the GPM course, many more children are now going to school. In the past, many girls also left school early. We have a very old tradition called khomba. Girls are taken out into the wilderness to prepare for marriage. After khomba, the girls usually leave school and are forced to marry.
The responses clearly show how the GPM has contributed to change. For example, 100% of children say they now want to be changemakers in their villages and stand up for children's, girls' and wildlife rights, 100% of teachers have talked about these rights with their students and 98,9% of them with others in the community, 98.6% of parents have discussed these issues with their families and their neighbors. 96.2% of local leaders now have better knowledge about the equal rights of girls and boys, 100% want to encourage children to stand up for their rights and 100% want to contribute to ensuring that girls' rights are respected in their community.
I am glad that the Geração de Paz e Mudança project came to us. After the training, we had meetings with the villagers to explain the risks of poaching, the fact that many parents do not let their children go to school and exposing their daughters to khomba. The project has helped us a lot. While the principal and teachers spoke to the children at school, I, as the village leader, was able to influence the villagers. The child rights ambassadors trained their schoolmates. There are several changes in the village now. There are many fewer boys who leave school to poach. No girls drop out of school anymore because of khomba. We don't allow khomba anymore, because it was a ritual that did not bring anything good to the girls.” Isaak Alione Cubae, Local leader, Cubo
The COVida –“Juntos pelas Crianças” project was implemented in Boane District between April 2018 and March 2023. The project began in partnership with the Mozambican Association for Family Development (AMODEFA) but partnership was transferred to SANTAC due a conflict of interest between the US Government and AMODEFA regarding family planning policies. The Project was funded by USAID and implemented by SANTAC in partnership with FHI 360 (Family Health International) with a budget of MT 6,770,907.
The overall objective was to strengthen the capacities of families and communities to care for and protect Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVCs) aged 0-17 and their families, infected or affected by HIV. Additional objectives included increasing the use of quality social, health and nutritional services; reducing the economic vulnerability of OVC households, support the improvement of Early Childhood Development (ECD)Services and families to stimulate the development of children under 5 years old.
The project showed significant results and effects for the beneficiaries, including:
- Beneficiaries are aware of their rights and benefit of the available public services in their communities and Districts.
- Improved the health and nutritional standard of the project beneficiaries.
- Beneficiaries have improved their living conditions through adherence to the saving groups
- 90% the project beneficiaries tested for HIV, know their serostatus and started ARV treatment. Some of them have reached the suppression stage.
- Beneficiaries who had abandoned the ARV treatment were assisted by a psychologist and returned to it after they participated in counseling sessions
- 11,819 teenagers were empowered through discussion session on Sexual and Reproductive Health, Menstruation Management, early marriage, bullying, drugs, alcohol, gender-based violence, and HIV/AIDS, leading to increased awareness and changes in behavior among adolescents in relation to gender equality, awareness of signs of abuse, and strengthened motivation to reach educational goals.
- Community leaders take active part in the sustainability of the activities initiated by the project.
During 2015-2018 SANTAC implemented the project, Mocambique Pelos Direitos das Meninas, in the three provinces of Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane. This was a project for education, empowerment and change, with the aim of mobilizing the whole society, including boys and adults, for the protection of girls’ rights. The project also included children out of school, who were involved and educated via the child rights ambassadors, who then also acted to ensure that these children can start school again, for example by talking to and educating parents about the child's right to go to school, and by talking to the principal to get these children enrolled in school.
“As I was trained about the rights of the child, thus, when I feel that they are being violated, I talk to people, calling attention to the fact that they are committing an injustice. The most common violations of children’s rights in my community are child labour and children out of school. In my community, boys and girls do not have equal rights. Boys have more privileges than girls. Many girls do not go to school or if they go, they do not complete their studies. In defense of the rights of children, I sensitize members of the community, because many act in this way because they are not informed about the rights of children. I am honored to be an ambassador and I am prepared to help other children in my school and in my community to know their rights and protect them. I’m happy! I am a change agent, yes. I protect the rights of the children at school and community. That is why I disseminate these rights, so that they are known and respected.” Denise, 16, Boane
Survey results at the end of the project showed that the child rights ambassadors now felt empowered to: engage other children about children's rights (93%), to talk to adults (teachers, parents, leaders) about children's rights issues (94%), to teach other children about their rights (98%), to teach adults about children's and girls' rights (95%), and to make their voices heard about children's rights in the media (91%). The project also had a significant effect on participating adults. For example, after participating in Mocambique Pelos Direitos das Meninas, 100% of the local leaders surveyed had gained better knowledge about the equal rights of girls and boys, and 89% had gained better knowledge about the problems affecting girls in their district.
“The child rights ambassadors at the school informed me about ‘Mocambique Pelos Direitos das Meninas’. The aim is to end all exploitation of girls and for girls’ rights to be respected everywhere. It is a very important programme because girls’ rights are violated a lot here. Not long ago, one of my students was forced by her father to stop school because he had decided that she would get married. Unfortunately, this is common in Mozambique. Here, parents have not given any importance to their daughters going to school. The only thing that can stop this is education about girls’ rights.” José Herculano, Principal, Escola 4 de Outubro, Inharrime
The project, which concluded with a child-led seminar in Maputo on 17 November 2018, involved 758 child rights ambassadors, 321,997 other students, 442 school leaders and 12,400 teachers at 902 schools, 296 traditional and 147 religious leaders, and 42 journalists. It was funded with support from H.M. Queen Silvia of Sweden’s Care About the Children Foundation and from The World’s Children’s Prize Foundation.
For close to 20 years, SANTAC has implemented the Programme Prêmio das Crianças do Mundo with children and teachers in schools throughout Mozambique with the support of The World’s Children’s Prize Foundation in Sweden.
“I am happy to have taken the course. I now understand that my role is to make changes in my community and my school. I cannot witness violence against children, especially girls, and remain silent.” Zita, 16
The Prêmio das Crianças do Mundo is an annual education initiative empowering children to become changemakers who stand up for the Rights of the Child, democracy and sustainable development. Through the program the children are educated about the rights of the child through the stories of other children and child rights heroes working to protect the rights of children worldwide.
The program concludes with a Changemaker Day where the children in their Votação Mundial vote for their rights and speak about the changes they want to see in support of the rights of the child in their community and country. 2004 – 2023 more than 5 million children in 1,903 schools in Mozambique have participated in the Programme Prêmio das Crianças do Mundo, with up to 845,090 children participating in a given year.
“Three years ago, the number of girls dropping out of high school was high, due to pregnancy and child marriage. Since the start of the Prêmio das Crianças do Mundo on the island and the implementation of its activities in communities and schools, there have been changes. With the program activities, we managed to educate parents and encourage children to realize the value of education. School attendance increased and the dropout rate among boys also decreased.” Acacia, Teacher, Ka-Nyaka School
“In our district, it is common for parents to use their daughters as currency to pay off debts. Some girls are promised to men at birth, because they owe money or because the man is rich and they believe that he will support them and their girl will be well off. The people who live here do not know about children’s rights or that girls and boys have equal rights. This training is important because it helps us to improve girls’ living conditions and increase respect for their rights in the family and in the community as a whole.” Joaquina, Teacher, Maxixe
From 2015 to 2017, SANTAC in partnership with Terre des Hommes Germany, launched and implemented the activities of the “Unknown Destination Campaign” in Southern Africa, with a budget of 1,200,000 USD. The campaign aimed to protect children on the move, advocating for the implementation of CRC and respecting this group of children in the transit and destination countries. The three-year campaign was active in Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, and contributed to the creation of conditions of assistance in the destination and transit countries and their safe repatriation.
In 2014, SANTAC co-organized the Regional Conference on Child Safeguard Policies held in Cape Town- South Africa in collaboration with USAID / UNICEF Nigeria / Warchild Holland / Plan / Save the Children / Terre des Hommes Germany. The conference was attended by key players from CSOs and governmental institutions of South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Swaziland, RDC, and Mozambique. The conference facilitated the sharing and exchange of information and experiences and strengthened the cooperation on the issue. The project budget was 14 470,00Euros.
In partnership with Save the Children International, SANTAC implemented the project Mainstreaming Violence, Exploitation and Human Trafficking in Southern Africa, started in 2011 and ended in 2014. The budget was 1,172,013 USD.
The project objective was to provide, skills and awareness to networks, government and public institutions who work on behalf of children, to improve their skills and get better response of the challenges they face in their activities against trafficking and child abuse, child exploitation, sexual abuse, prostitution, early marriage,etc. It was also to lobby and facilitate the networking of key players, governmental organizations that play a role in preventing and combating trafficking in persons in Southern Africa, including SADC to discuss, explore and advocate for the adoption of intervention strategies and specific laws to combat trafficking and abuse of children.
The project created measns to support vulnerable girls, increased the knowledge about the definition of human trafficking, objectives, modus operandi and the rofiles of victims and traffickers. It also produced and distributed Education and information material, which contributed to the increase of the knowledge about child sexual tourism, child labor, child sexual exploitation, early marriage and reinforced the capacity of partners and communities. The project also supported the situational analysis on trafficking in persons and its impact in the region of Southern Africa.
SANTAC implemented the project Child Safe Tourism in Southern Africa project in partnership with Terre des Hommes Germany from 2010 to 2013, with a budget of 80 000,00 Euros. The main objective of the project was to lobby and advocate for child protection and prevention of child trafficking and sexual exploitation of children in the tourism sector. It benefited 290 CSO in the region, which increased their knowledge on the theme Child Trafficking and enabled to replicate trainings in their countries and create mechanisms of protecting children from the abusive tourism.
