Empower Mozambican girls to go to high school

Happy Holidays from Mozambique!

We have just wrapped up another school year in Mozambique, and thanks to your support, we have been able to provide safe transport and access to high school for hundreds of students this school year! These girls are now one step closer to graduating from high school, a critical milestone.

In Mozambique, it is such a joy to see MSLI’s school bus rambling through the village, packed with students. These are adolescents that would most likely have dropped out of school by now, but instead, they are studying, setting goals, and thinking about different futures for themselves.

In chatting with the students, we are learning more about their new aspirations now that they have a chance at an education. Many say they want to be policewomen/men, teachers, or entrepreneurs. But there was a student named Elva who boldly proclaimed she wanted to be a judge, to deliver justice. They are dreaming high!

During one of the mentorship meetings in October, the students drew life maps, using crayons and markers to paint a figurative river, with one end being where they are now, and the other end being where they wanted to end up. Along the river they put in obstacles like fallen trees, rocky areas, and crocodiles, representing barriers they’ll have to overcome to achieve their dreams. Thanks to the school bus, their “river” is flowing a bit more smoothly now. But each student will still have to surmount various challenges to finish their education. We want to be with the students along their journeys, showing them that we’re all working together for a common goal.

What’s next? We expect the number of students to rise to 400 next year – maintaining the current students as they proceed to the next grade, plus adding in a new cohort of 8^th graders. Students who have been with us the last two years will be even closer to completing high school and reaching their dreams. New students will be entering the program, many of whom wouldn’t have had the financial means to continue their studies otherwise. 

We see each student as an individual, who has the right to an education, to fulfill their potential, and to be free from hunger and the intergenerational trap of poverty. Thanks to your support, we are changing the course of these students’ lives. This is the best gift we could have ever hoped for. Thank you!