Particidade-Mozambique

The project  

Despite the rapid economic expansion that has characterized Mozambique in recent years, the country continues to occupy the last positions in the Human Development Index, ranking 181st out of 188 countries (UNDP, 2016). Rapid urbanization and the increase in migratory flows from rural areas to cities, in the absence of sustainable strategic planning, contribute to maintaining high rates of poverty and fueling stagnant unemployment, particularly among young people. The most worrying phenomena concern the significant illiteracy and the high rate of school dropouts, which mainly affect: women and young people between 15 and 30 years old; girls and boys who drop out of school often for reasons beyond their control. Poor basic training causes systematic exclusion from job and professional placement paths.

The PARTICIDADE project, co-financed by AICS - Italian Development Cooperation Agency as part of the 2017 call for contributions for initiatives in Third Countries presented by Local Authorities, proposes a path aimed at improving territorial governance systems and services through the institutional and skills strengthening of municipalities in Mozambique, according to three lines of intervention:

  1. Intervention on urban planning and urban regeneration processes;
  2. Intervention on the socio-educational services of the municipality;
  3. Interventions aimed at encouraging the increase in the capacity of municipalities in offering tools to support employment and youth employment, training public officials and training bodies/associations on possible improvements and expansions of employment services.

As part of the project, a feasibility study was carried out for the introduction of the school canteen system, included in the broader trend of city-to-city cooperation activities between the Municipalities of Milan, Maputo, Pemba and Reggio Emilia, which was characterized by the multi-sectoral composition of the research group: Public-Private-Civil Society-Academic Institutes.

The collaboration of Milan and its territorial system with the cities of Maputo and Pemba represented a virtuous model of city-to-city cooperation, inspired by a careful and concrete look at reality and by the belief that cities have the strength to create, test and propose effective and sustainable solutions.
This scientific document does not claim to present a solution valid for everyone, but to provide a public administration with the necessary elements to support the definition of new public policies for the creation of a healthy and sustainable school lunch service.

The partnership is made up of:

  • Municipality of Reggio Emilia (leader),
  • The municipality of Milan,
  • Emilia Romagna region,
  • Municipal Council of the city of Maputo (Mozambique),
  • Municipal Council of the city of Pemba (Mozambique),
  • E35 - Foundation for international planning,
  • Reggio Children Foundation - Loris Malaguzzi Centre,
  • Civil Volunteer Group - non-profit NGO,
  • AVSI Foundation - non-profit NGO,
  • National Council of Conservative Landscape Architects, Planners,
  • Associação dos Arquitectos de Moçambique - ARQUITRAVE (Mozambique),
  • Italian Association of Responsible Tourism,
  • United Nation for Industrial Development Organization - Investment Promotion Office Italy - UNIDO ITPO.

The Particidade project, started in April 2018 and concluded in March 2020, continues with exchange and city-to-city cooperation activities as part of the introduction of school feeding services at municipal level, also thanks to the dissemination of the feasibility, available in Italian, Portuguese and English. 

The general objective of the project is to support the establishment and strengthening of land management systems and governance services, in particular aimed at minors and young people, in the municipalities of Maputo and Pemba, also guaranteeing quality, inclusive and fair, promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all and promoting the social inclusion of the most vulnerable sections of the population, through the transfer of experiences and best practices of Italian local authorities.

Specific objectives:

1. Increase the processes of participatory definition of urban regeneration planning services

2. Increase inclusion and quality of education

3. Strengthen professional training and youth employment

Among the many activities envisaged in the project, specifically the Municipality of Milan will contribute with the transfer of skills on the management of municipal services and the creation of a working group for the implementation of a study that involves the analysis of needs, numbers and of the regulatory reality of the school canteen service in the cities of Maputo and Pemba, with the definition of some scenarios that can help to set new public policies for a sustainable offer of the school canteen service. Identification of two school facilities that can host pilot initiatives in 2019.

1. Increased the skills of the Municipalities of Maputo and Pemba in the development of local paths for the participatory planning of public services and urban planning and regeneration.

2. Increased access to formal and non-formal educational services for children of primary school age, thanks to the improvement of the skills of the technicians of the Municipalities of Maputo and Pemba and of the teachers, sharing of best practices and collaboration between competent institutions, society civil and community. Services for minors and young people, as well as for minors and young people with disabilities, have been improved in the Municipalities of Maputo and Pemba, through the active participation of communities in the development of local youth and childhood policies.

3. Improved employment opportunities for young people and women from the Maputo and Pemba communities through the development of adult literacy courses, professional training and business planning/self-employment for women and young people from the communities involved.

Updated: 31/12/2020