In July 2022, following a long wait due to COVID-related travel restrictions, I finally got to visit Young Africa’s two centres in Mozambique; YA Beira and YA Agri Tech Dondo. Over the course of a week (a flying visit!), I was able to meet with both centres staff and students and see first-hand the wonderful work being carried out at the centres which are both supported through funding from SERVE.

It was made abundantly clear to me how negatively impacted both the centers and the people of Mozambique have been in recent years. There has been significant damage as a result of two cyclones, COVID, and significant inflation.

SERVE continues to play an important role in helping young people by through Young Africa centers where young people can continue to improve themselves and their communities.

One memory that will stick with me is meeting and speaking with a young girl named Marilia. She received a scholarship from SERVE to complete a course in Beauty and Hairdressing. She was quickly recognized as excelling in the course and was assisted in obtaining a work placement. In the year since, she has been able to obtain a microcredit loan from SERVE’s Skills for Youth Resilience Programme (SYRP) funding in order to build her own salon at her home. Since then, her business has thrived, and Marilia is now filled with optimism about the future.

Everyone I met gave me so much time and energy to see as much as I could and explain to me how things work at each of the centres. After a year of working with many of the staff remotely, it was a truly amazing experience to get to meet them all, as well as current and former students, in person and see the true realities on the ground. Many thanks to all for memories that will stay with me for a long time.

About SERVE’s Skills for Youth Resilience Programme (SYRP):

SYRP provides scholarships to young people in need to access further education to learn life and entrepreneurial skills which enable them to move forward in their lives, as well as by providing funding and support to develop the centres further through funding for expansion, equipment for courses, as well as through human resources and capacity building support. There are many different courses on offer, such as Electrical  Construction, Baking, Hairdressing etc. At YA Agri Tech there is also a huge farm which teaches dairy/farming skills, horticultural skills, solar energy skills and much more. Please donate to SERVE and support SYRP.