Between ashes and hope: Cabo Delgado youth find new paths
Amid the scars left by the armed conflict in Cabo Delgado — where entire villages were emptied, and families forced to leave behind not only their homes but also their dreams and memories — a new story is being written. Between loss and despair, stories of courage rise: seeds scattered by the wind, daring to take root in distant lands, far from the echoes of war.
27 August 2025
NACALA, Mozambique (ILO News) - It is within this uncertain journey that Projecta Jovem emerges, an initiative implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO), funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and implemented in partnership with the Government of Mozambique.
The project has already awarded over 400 full scholarships to displaced youth from Cabo Delgado, giving them the chance to reclaim their dreams and glimpse a future once thought unreachable.
At technical institutes such as the Polytechnic Institute Martir Cipriano Nacuxa in Nacala and Ilha de Mozambique districts of Nampula Province, these young people find more than classrooms; they find a safe harbour to rebuild their dignity.
There, through internships and practical training, they take their first steps toward the labour market — a journey that reconnects them not only with learning but also with hope.
In additional to the scholarships, Projecta Jovem financed the construction of 10 student dormitories, expanding the institute’s capacity. More than rooms, these are spaces of hope, where stories are rebuilt and tomorrow begins to take shape.
The construction work was done by youth graduating from the same institute under ILO's Employment Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP) and Work-Based Learning (WBL) approach.
Giving them an opportunity of work experience, and with this they can go to the employment market with proven experience.
Among the beneficiaries of this transformation is Christina Antonio, 26, a third-year secretarial studies student, who recalls with emotion: “I was recruited from the refugee camp in Miazi. I left my parents and siblings behind to come here and gain practical skills. This is a great opportunity because young people in Cabo Delgado have no access to career development due to ongoing conflict.”
Beside her, Lucianna Abdala, 27, carries a story of resilience and gratitude: “Life in Cabo Delgado is hard. I was taken out of the refugee camp by well-wishers. I am grateful to ILO and Projecta Jovem for this sponsorship. My dreams were shattered in the camp, but now I have hope. Many youths want to learn, but there are no opportunities.”
Today, Lucianna dreams of starting her own business and giving back to her community.
Meanwhile, Bernabi Nchagimoya, 24, makes a heartfelt appeal to his peers: “There are very few jobs. Youths need to be innovative and learn how to run their own businesses instead of waiting for government employment.”
Running from February 2022 to December 2025, Projecta Jovem is more than a training programme. It is a living promise of reconstruction, investing in youth entrepreneurship, agribusiness development, and job-creating infrastructure projects.
Each graduate is a flame lit in the darkness — proof that, even in the shadow of war, it is possible to rise from the ashes and turn hope into a future.
