Mozambique’s Ally excels in the production of soil cement-blocks

The International Labor Organization (ILO) with funding from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Mozambique (AICS), is implementing the Multi- dimensional Resilient Recovery of the Ibo and Búzi districts, which aims to train youth and women in the production and application of soil cement blocks to contribute towards skills development and enhance resilience through increasing household incomes.
The skills training aim to build capacity among youths and women from Guara Guara to form cooperatives, thus being able to produce and sell the blocks, thereby improving their livelihoods.
Upon hearing from her neighbours about the ILO initiative, Ally developed interest in the project.
“There are people who didn’t believe that this project would bring benefits to our community, but I always believed that something good would happen,” he narrates.
During the training, which took place in March 2024, Ally was appointed class representative and he admits to having faced challenges in leading more than 24 beneficiaries, but thanks to the good collaboration and support of the facilitators.
“At first, it was a challenge for me, but later I managed to get along well with all my colleagues and together we formed a family,” he explains, after successfully completing training in the production of soil-cement bricks, where the beneficiaries proved their capabilities.
With the skills he acquired during the training and the support received from the project, Ally’s life has changed as he has managed to build a new house for his family.