LocationsWith Support from Switzerland and UNDP
A New Beginning for Ngaúma: Education with Dignity at the Heart of Niassa
May 15, 2025
UNDP/Celina Henriques
Author: Celina Henriques
In northern Mozambique, in the community of Chitope, in Ngauma district, a region rich in culture and tradition but historically overlooked regards infrastructure investment, the community of Chitope in Ngaúma district is longs for new beginning. For decades, the local population of approximately 6,309 people — 2,994 men and 3,315 women — faced the challenges of an overloaded education system and improvised classrooms with no basic teaching and learning conditions.
But now, hope is knocking at the door with the launch of the Balanced and Inclusive Human Development Project 2024–2025, a joint initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Swiss Cooperation, and the Government of Niassa Province through the Provincial Directorate of Education (DPE). The project includes the construction of five classrooms, administrative offices, and a water borehole at the Chitope Primary School in the Administrative Post of Massangulo.
This project is part of the work of the Provincial Reference Group for the SDGs in Niassa, a multi-stakeholder platform led by the Provincial Government. Its central goal is the participatory development of the Provincial Strategic Plan, fully aligned with the 2030 Agenda. Localizing the SDGs helps identify communities potentially left behind and, based on vulnerability and impact criteria, guides the definition of strategic projects with high transformational value. In this context, the intervention directly aligns with SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), and SDG 5 (Gender Equality), promoting a coordinated and multisectoral response to a situation of serious vulnerability affecting children and communities at risk of social exclusion.
With a duration of eight months and an investment of more than 11 million meticais (approximately 175 thousand USD), this initiative aims not only to improve school infrastructure but also to create conditions of equity, inclusion, and safety for hundreds of children — especially girls and children with special educational needs. The new space, climate-resilient and with guaranteed access to clean water, will mark a turning point in the school life of the 382 students (244 of them girls) currently attending grades 1 through 6 in two shifts of 250 students each.
Construction workers assembling support infrastructure for the project – Temporary storage facility
Celina Henriques
School Leaders, Parents, and Students celebrate the arrival of the new school
On the ground, enthusiasm is palpable. The red dust covering the paths of Massangulo now mixes with the sounds of hammers, shovels, and the voices of community workers proudly building the future of their own children. The project strategy includes the use of local labor, which not only boosts the local economy but also promotes a sense of ownership and belonging among residents.
“What we’re building here goes far beyond cement blocks. These are walls that will protect dreams, roofs that will shelter opportunities, and desks where future doctors, teachers, and community leaders will be born,” says Engineer Sergio Langa, technical lead for the project. “We are ensuring that these infrastructures last, are safe, and inclusive. Everything is built according to Ministry of Education standards. This new project will positively impact the local community that used to operate under a makeshift shelter with a roof and no walls. When it rained, students were forced to leave the learning space. The school’s water system will also benefit the five surrounding communities, reducing the distance to water sources.”
Engineer Sergio Langa, Technical Lead
UNDP/Celina Henriques
Redolfo Lucas, Director of the Massangulo Primary School, visibly emotional, believes this marks a turning point for education in Ngaúma:
“For years, we had to improvise with what little we had for the children in Chitope. We were practically teaching outdoors. As you can see, we used poles and old sheets of metal — no walls. A classroom with no desks. The teachers did the impossible. When it rained, we practically had to stop classes. We had no conditions. Now, with these new classrooms being provided, fully equipped and safe, we’ll have real conditions to teach with quality. This annex has 401 students, 204 of them girls. As the school leader, this is a major gain for the school and for the community. Without a doubt, when a child receives lessons in proper conditions, they learn more easily."
Redolfo Lucas, Director of the Massangulo Primary School
UNDP/Celina Henriques
"For years, we had to improvise with what little we had for the children in Chitope. We were practically teaching outdoors. As you can see, we used poles and old sheets of metal — no walls. A classroom with no desks. The teachers did the impossible. When it rained, we practically had to stop classes. We had no conditions. Now, with these new classrooms being provided, fully equipped and safe, we’ll have real conditions to teach with quality. This annex has 401 students, 204 of them girls. As the school leader, this is a major gain for the school and for the community. Without a doubt, when a child receives lessons in proper conditions, they learn more easily." - concluded Redolfo Lucas.
Parents helping with classroom construction in Chitope, Massangulo
UNDP/Celina Henriques
From the families’ side, the sentiment is one of gratitude. Anita Hassane, a resident of Ntchenga neighborhood in Chitope, Massangulo, and mother of three students, shares:
“I’m grateful to everyone who made this school near our home a reality. The school is very much needed here. Before, my children would come home with their notebooks covered in dirt. They themselves were dirty and tired. They sat on the ground. Now, with this new school we see rising here in Chitope, they will have a proper place to write and to dream. They won’t have to skip school anymore because it’s raining or too cold. This school will change our lives.”
Anita Hassane and her children, students at Chitope’s annex classroom
UNDP/Celina Henriques
The students themselves understand what’s happening. João Macamo, age 10 (grade 4) said with a shy smile:
“I want to be an engineer, like the men building the school. And now I’ll study in a beautiful place. I won’t run home anymore when it rains or gets cold. I’ll sit on new desks, I believe they’ll bring them to us,” he said.
João Macamo, 10, grade4, student at Chitope Primary School
UNDP/Celina Henriques
Calo Rafael added:
“I’m already in Grade 4. If these uncles take too long with the school, I won’t get to enjoy the new classrooms.”
Calo Rafael, 10, grade4, student at Chitope Primary School
UNDP/Celina Henriques
More Than Just a School: A Firm Step Toward the Sustainable Development Goals
Although centered on a rural primary school, this project is fully aligned with Mozambique’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
- SDG 4: Quality Education: The construction of new classrooms with appropriate furniture significantly improves the quality of teaching, reduces the student-to-classroom ratio, and creates an environment conducive to inclusive and equitable learning, especially in rural areas.
- SDG 5: Gender Equality: The new facilities will include adequate sanitation and furniture designed for girls and children with disabilities, promoting girls’ school retention and eliminating physical and social barriers to education access.
- SDG 1: No Poverty: By providing access to quality education, the project opens doors to social and economic development for the community, offering new opportunities for youth and helping break the cycle of poverty.
Moreover, access to clean water — through the hand-pump borehole being built at the school — supports national water policy and enhances sanitation, hygiene, and health practices, directly impacting disease prevention and student attendance. The water point will also serve neighboring communities in Chitope.
Current and future students of Chitope’s annex classroom, posing for posterity
UNDP/Celina Henriques
Felizmina Songela, Estami neighborhood, Massangulo – Chitope annex student.
UNDP/Celina Henriques
Education as Hope: Building the Future with and For the Community
The story of Chitope, Massangulo, is one of many across Mozambique where access to quality education remains a challenge. But this project proves that local realities can be transformed with national impact when governments, communities, and international partners work together.
Sustainability is ensured through transparent management, preventive maintenance, and ongoing engagement of the community and local authorities. The school will be handed over symbolically, celebrating not just a physical structure but the renewal of collective hope.
In Ngaúma, more than a school is being built. What’s being built is trust, dignity, and a future.
And as Felizmina Songela, from Estami neighborhood in Massangulo and student at Chitope’s annex, says with sparkling eyes:
“When the new school opens, I’ll be the first to enter. I want to be a teacher. I want to teach like my teacher taught me.”
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