LocationsWhen a community finds its light
June 5, 2026
“This community relies on agriculture as main source of subsistence. During the day, they farm with limited time to attend the classes” – these are the voices of people who have waited far too long for change. Today, that change is finally taking shape through an initiative that goes beyond delivering renewable energy. It brings a practical, long-awaited solution to daily challenges, easing the pressure on families while opening new possibilities for learning, resilience, and a more sustainable future.
Designed with a structure inspired by the shape of a giraffe, the facility features solar panels at the top and a shaded community space at the base, where residents can charge their mobile phones and listen to the radio.
In the village of Mussongue, located in the hinterlands of Matutuíne district, Maputo province, within the Maputo Environmental Protection Area (APA-Maputo), a new infrastructure has just been built. It was created to tackle real, everyday challenges – bringing clean solar energy connectivity to around 40 families who previously had limited access, opening new opportunities for communication, learning, and livelihoods in the community.
The “Mini Solar Giraffe” project tells a story of innovation and impact – an initiative brought to life by the Carlos Morgado Foundation (FCM), with support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP), working together to power communities and brighten futures.
The project brings a vision of positive change to life. At Mussongue Primary School, the Mini Solar Giraffe transforms a simple space into a vibrant community hub-providing clean energy for lighting, phone charging, and access to information. But it goes further: By training local youth to operate and maintain the system, it builds lasting skills and ownership. At the same time, it inspires the wider community, especially young people and women-to embrace renewable energy, protect the environment, and adopt better waste management practice, paving the way for a more resilient and sustainable future.
Bringing clean energy to Mussongue: UNDP team monitors the installation of the Mini-Solar Giraffe.
Valued at $25,000, this one-year initiative (February 2026–February 2027) reflects a strong partnership, with a $20,000 grant from the GEF complemented by a vital $5,000 co-investment from the Carlos Morgado Foundation (FCM).
This collaborative investment serves as a replicable model for green and community-based infrastructure. It bridges local action with global priorities, directly supporting Mozambique’s national development targets, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 7, 13, and 15), and UNDP’s core mission to drive climate action and sustainable resource management.
Furthermore, the implementation of the "Solar Giraffe" in this selected area of the Matutuíne landscape aligns with SGP Country Programme Strategy (CPS) ensure access to low-carbon energy and its co-benefits. It aims to promote renewable and efficient energy technologies that generate socio-economic benefits while improving community livelihoods.
One of the community’s main challenges has been the lack of access to energy, forcing families to travel nearly 50 km round trip to Salamanga village just to charge mobile phones. This long journey consumes time and scarce resources, while exposing community members – especially women and children – to serious risks, including wildlife encounters and gender-based violence. It also limits their ability to respond quickly in emergencies.
These risks are heightened by the community’s location within the Maputo Environmental Protection Area, where coexistence with wildlife such as elephants remains a daily reality. As noted by Armando Tembe, a traditional community leader, limited lighting further increases vulnerability at night, affecting safety and mobility.
The installation of the Mini Solar Giraffe is transforming this situation. By bringing clean, reliable energy directly to the community, it removes the need for risky travel, reduces household expenses, and ensures that residents can stay connected and call for help when needed.
As Armando Tembe highlights, “this initiative represents a significant step forward for every family in this village and beyond, as it reduces the costs of transportation and recharges. For example, each family has on average three cellphones and spends about 215 Meticais (around 3 USD) for a round trip to Salamanga to charge our devices. Now we will be able to use this Solar Giraffe system and reduce that cost”.
At the same time, the public lighting provided significantly improves night-time safety - reducing exposure to both wildlife and violence. More than powering devices, the initiative is strengthening safety, dignity, and resilience, offering the community a safer and more sustainable future.
Armando Tembe, a traditional community leader of Mussongue village
The Solar Giraffe is driving a profound shift in gender equality by lighting up the classrooms of Mussongue Primary School. Powered by a robust energy storage system with a safe daily capacity of up to 2.2 kilowatt-hour (kWh), this reliable electricity does far more than support daytime learning. It opens the doors to life-changing evening literacy classes, especially for women and young girls.
Access to evening education provides a powerful pathway for young girls who, lacking alternative prospects, often find themselves vulnerable to early marriages. By illuminating the school at night, the project is not just generating power, it is actively dismantling barriers, helping girls stay in school, and empowering women with knowledge to decide their futures.
Within the framework of this project, the school plays a crucial role in contributing to environmental education, digital inclusion, and community awareness, which is why lighting up the classrooms was identified by the community as a priority action.
"This community relies on agriculture as main source of subsistence. During the day, they farm with limited time to attend the classes. With illumination, we will have adult education, and we will also be able to hold our meetings a bit later. Since many people are able to attend both school and community meetings, which are also held on these premises, this approach will ensure that decisions are more inclusive and reflect the views of the majority"Luís Pacamo, Director of Mussongue Primary School for the past ten years
More than just installing the Mini-Solar Giraffe, the project also invests in education-recognizing that lasting change starts early. With a majority of girls enrolled at the school, empowering them with knowledge is especially important, as they are key to shaping more sustainable households and communities in the future.
To support this, the project developed simple storybooks in Portuguese and local the language (Ci-Changana), designed to help children understand, from a young age, how renewable energy protects the environment and improves everyday life. By introducing these ideas early, the project is helping to build a generation that grows up valuing clean energy and making informed choices.
As Ruben Morgado, Executive Director of the Carlos Morgado Foundation, explains, “It is fundamental to start discussing the benefits of renewable energy with children and moving away from non-renewables, because we believe that Mozambique's future clean energy. Therefore, it is important to teach this to children, so they grow up with this awareness".
