Making Vocational and

Educational Training Acessible

Stelio , Ramos

LIGHT FOR THE WORLD INTERNATIONAL

Mozambique

Rural Development

February 21st and 13:50 – 14:30

Organizational Backgroung of the Organization and
Project
• There are only a limited number of initiatives that particularly
address the issue of economic empowerment of people with
disabilities in Mozambique.
• The European Union funded programme is the result of a
collaboration between Young Africa and Light For the World and
aims to bridge this integrating persons with disabilities in vocational
education and training centres by reaching out to youngsters from
rural districts and, at the same time, creating accessible hostel
facilities in Dondo and making the two Young Africa VET centres in
Beira and Dondo truly inclusive of and accessible for
underprivileged youngsters with disabilities.
• The Project Started in 2015 and will end in 2019.
Objectives of the Projects
• Making Young Africa Vocational and Technical training Centres Inclusive
(Improvement of accessibility, regular rise awareness of Staff on
Inclusion of persons with disabilities, training of Staff/Trainers in sign
language, etc).
• Ensure that there is permanent linkage between Disabled Persons
Organizations and Young Africa on the referring of Persons with
Disabilities for training in Young Africa, even after the project ends in
2019.
• Advocate in the Labour Market to ensure the employability of persons
with disabilities / or encourage the graduates to bet on self-employment
initiatives.
Inovative Pratice

• Young Africa becomes the first Inclusive Vocational and

Educational Training Center in Mozambique where the
Center's architectural and social accessibility has been
improved to meet the needs of Persons with disabilities (ramps
construction, library equipped with Software's Jaws,
adaptation of work tools, construction of 2 new accessible
hostels to receive young with disabilities coming from Rural
Areas).
The Impact Created
• 182 persons with disabilities trained in several courses offered by
Young Africa (Industrial and Agricutural Courses);
• 13 persons (self) employed;
• 47 students with disabilities integrated on internships in 16
Companies in Beira City;
• 30 Staff and trainers of Young Africa trained in Sign languages;
• More than 60 Companies were sensitized on inclusion of disability
in the labour market through two big events (1st Fair of Skills of
persons with disabilities and During the Conference of 10 Years
of Young Africa);
Budget
The Project is supported by European Union (€1.5 million),
the Austrian Development Agency (€85,000), and by the
implementing organization Light for the World itself
(€10,000). In total the Project is
• Young Africa manages (€ 1.1 million)
• LIGHT FOR THE WORLD manages (€ 465.000) and this
amount is used to run inclusion activities in the project;
Sustainability of the actions
• LIGHT FOR THE WORLD plans to replicate this initiative to other
training centers;
• All the project proposals that Young Africa draws include a disability
component (Scholarship, trainings, etc);
• There is a strong linkage between Disabled Persons organizations and
Young Africa on referral of persons with disabilities;
Challenges faced by the Project

• Weak absorption of manpower by the companies due the

financial crisis that Mozambique is facing;
• Low level of literacy of some persons with disabilities and it
exclude them to attend the training in Young Africa courses;
Next Steps

• Identify potential Foundations/Companies to support

generation incomes activities of more than 150 Youngsters
graduated in Young Africa;
• Provide Training to 100 Companies members Beira on how
to include persons with disabilities in the labour markets;
• Start literacy courses to improve skills of reading and writing
of persons with disabilities before their referencing to Young
Africa.