Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Cabo Delgado provincial government and its partners are investing in professional training in an effort to dissuade young unemployed people from joining violent groups. But about 5,000 companies in the province have closed down since the attacks began.
Amisse Assane, 26, is from Mocímboa da Praia, a district devastated by terrorists. Because of the insecurity, he took refuge with his family in Pemba, where he says he had a bad time, lacking the means of survival.
“Since the day I arrived in Pemba, I felt sick due to lack of conditions, lack of jobs, lack of food, since there [Mocímboa da Praia] I had my projects, things to do, but when I arrived here it’s as if I were a beggar,” the young man says.
Like Amisse, many young people in Cabo Delgado province face the problem of unemployment. Some even argue that the violent extremism in this part of the country stems from the lack of jobs and opportunities, particularly for the young.
Training and opportunities
The ‘More Employment’ (Mais Emprego) programme, financed by the European Union and lasting three years, aims to change this scenario by providing various short-term professional training opportunities to 500 young people in Cabo Delgado.
Project coordinator Cristina Paulo says that the goal is “to increase the qualification of young people in Cabo Delgado, but also to increase their employability through the creation of employment opportunities, both in Cabo Delgado companies and through self-employment”.
In addition, another training programme, this time in health and safety at work and also aimed at young people, will start soon. Maria Isabel Raimundo, the director of Provincial Social Affairs Services, says that the training will serve “young people from places that were once thought to be somewhat insecure.”
“The government is doing everything it can to restore security in those areas. We are, in fact, waiting for some guidance from the government regarding people moving back to their areas of origin. While this is happening, our youth has to be trained to create employment opportunities in order to better integrate into society,” she says.
Labour for reconstruction
Marcelino and Amisse are among the 50 displaced young people who started attending an electrical engineering course on Monday. After the course, Marcelino wants to participate in the reconstruction of districts destroyed by terrorism, especially Mocímboa da Praia, where he comes from.
“Every day that passes I want to go home. I cry all the time and, if the return happens, it will be a great victory. I would like everything to end and return to normal. And yes, I intend to go back to help rebuild my village,” Marcelino says.
