My name is Rita.

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a teacher. However, for almost 30 years that dream seemed to be an impossibility. I grew up living with just my mother. My father died when I was quite young and for all of my childhood it was just my mother and me. We  were very poor and my mother worked all day in the fields, growing food for us to eat.  I was able to attend Primary school  but had to leave at the end of Grade 7, like so many other girls in my community. We just could not afford to attend school. My dream of becoming a teacher evaporated and I lived in a fog of hopelessness and despair. And then a glimmer of light appeared. I was given the opportunity to attend a course to train as a Pre-school assistant. I was overjoyed. At the end of the training I was able to get a job at the King of Kings School in Manga, Beira. I wasn’t a teacher but at least I was working with children.

When the school introduced Grade 8 and began the secondary school, I enrolled as a student. I worked as a Pre-school assistant in the morning and attended classes in the afternoon. I graduated from Year 12 and continued working as an assistant. In my heart I so much wanted to become a teacher, but that still seemed an impossibility. And then something wonderful happened.  Mission Educate offered me a scholarship to enable me to attend university and train as a teacher.  My dream became a reality and hope was restored in my life. I am proud to tell you that I am a Pre-school teacher at the King of Kings School.

The King of Kings School in Mozambique commenced in 2000. It provides education for students from Prep to Year 12 and has a maximum enrolment of 2000 students.

It all started when my parents passed away. I was at a total loss because my extended family rejected me. This was in the year 2000 when I was just 5 years old.  Life for me consisted of begging for food and washing people’s clothes at their house in the Munhava neighbourhood, a high density community in Beira. I did not go to school.

One day I met a family who wanted someone to sell samosas on the street. So I started selling for them. In 2009 they enrolled me in a literacy class at a church and this is where I started learning. I continued learning and eventually completed Year 10. In 2015 I lost the person who was paying for my education. This was extremely sad for me as I wanted to continue studying.

At the beginning of December 2017, the Mission Educate Technical Institute team passed by in my neighbourhood with pamphlets about courses they were going to offer. I liked the sound of the Agriculture Course, so I registered for the entrance exam. Unfortunately I didn't get the grades to enrol in the Agriculture Course, but I was offered a place in the Civil Construction Course.

Since I joined the Mission Educate Institute in 2018, my spiritual and emotional life has completely changed. Today I know how to do a lot of things. I haven't finished the Course yet but I am already known in the local job market with what I’ve learned through Mission Educate. 

My success today is seen by many people. Even family members who rejected me when I was a young boy now call me. If it wasn’t for Mission Educate, I don't know what my life would be like today.

Thank you very much Mission Educate, for opening my mind, my emotions, my psyche, and unlocking my professional abilities. I no longer walk the streets selling samosas. I am now a professional, with so many opportunities.

The Mission Educate Technical Institute commenced in 2018 offering three year diploma level courses in Construction and Agriculture. 

My name is Maria. I was born in the rural district of Buzi but now live in Munhava, the poorest neighbourhood in Beira. I have a daughter and have been divorced for 5 years. I never went to school because my father did not allow girls to study. I had to stay home and take care of the housework. Only boys were allowed to go to school. I got married early but the marriage didn't work out. To survive, I started selling dried fish in a market stall. I did not earn very much due to the area where the stall was. There were no options for me or anyone to help. I just continued to try to survive.

A neighbour invited me to participate in an information session at a church where they announced they would be starting the Literacy for Life Project. I was interested and I wanted to study because they said, in addition to learning to read and write, I could learn other life skills. Due to the suffering I had endured in life, I did not love myself. I had actually thought of taking my own life. It was hard when I applied for my ID document because I didn't know how to sign my name. I was resentful of my father for not letting me study.

Since I joined the Literacy for Life class a lot of things have improved, especially my self-esteem. Because of being together with other mothers, I have started to love myself and I have started taking care of myself and my daughter. I have grown spiritually and my emotions have been restored. I hadn’t been to church in a long time but after receiving the Bible, I started participating in the services. I have really enjoyed learning how to grow vegetables and make cakes and samosas. After the classes I tried to do it myself at home. Every day I am improving.

In the future, after I finish the Literacy course, I would like to continue studying. I would like to take a course in sewing and be a tailor. I think it would be good for me and help me with expenses. As a tailor you don’t need a lot of resources or space.  You can just set up your machine anywhere and work.