Right To Play in Mozambique

For more than 20 years, Right To Play has worked with local partners in Mozambique to deliver high-quality education, girls' empowerment, and child protection programs.

We began working in Mozambique in 2002 to empower youth through sport. Currently, we offer programs that ensure children have access to quality play-based primary education, support adolescents and youth with information about their sexual and reproductive health, promote gender equality, and enhance children’s emotional well-being.

In 2023, we reached more than 16,000 children, including more than 8,000 girls.

Right To Play Mozambique's 2024-26 program priorities

• Training teachers and school leadership to create safe, inclusive and
  engaging classrooms;
• Supporting children with disabilities and special educational needs;
• Providing adolescents with sexual and reproductive health education;
• Engaging communities and schools in advocating against harmful cultural practices and norms that keep girls out of school;
• Building strong partnerships with donors, government, educational institutions, and local organizations to reach more children and young people;
• Generating evidence on the impact of play on children’s learning and development.

Challenges and Opportunities in Mozambique

With two-thirds of its population under the age of 25, more than half of them children, Mozambique carries enormous potential. The country's future and greatest asset lies in its young population.

The government, in collaboration with international and local partners, has launched several initiatives to unlock this young population's potential for a brighter future. Despite these investments, Mozambique faces serious challenges in primary education, particularly in terms of access and quality, and in efforts to promote gender equality.

Many children, particularly girls, children with disabilities, and those in rural areas struggle to attend school due to long distances, inadequate infrastructure, and financial constraints. Dropout rates are high, especially among girls.

Cultural norms and early marriage frequently cause girls to leave school early, limiting their educational and economic opportunities. And the quality of education is compromised by a lack of trained teachers and insufficient learning materials, which hinder students' ability to achieve basic literacy and numeracy outcomes.

Key Statistics:

• While the net primary school enrollment rate is high at 99%, less than half of the students complete primary education. (UNESCO)
• Although 94% of girls enroll in primary school, more than half drop out by the 5th Grade, and only 11% continue to secondary education. This high dropout rate is influenced by early marriage, cultural norms, and economic pressures. (USAID)
• Gender-based violence remains a critical issue, with 16.4% of females aged 15-49 reporting physical and/or sexual violence by a partner in the past year. (UN Women)

Key Activities and Impact

In Zambezia Province, we’re offering a comprehensive in-service teacher training program aligned with the national curriculum that improves teachers' use of child-centered, active learning methods. The training is delivered in partnership with Green Leaves Education Foundation.

Through the Play Forward project in Zambezia Province, we’re training teachers on how to use play-based learning in the classroom and to create positive, inclusive, and gender-responsive lessons and environments.

In the Namacurra district and Zambezia Province, we collaborate with the Norwegian Government through the Enhancing Quality and Inclusive Education (EQIE) project to improve the literacy of children experiencing marginalization. More girls and children with disabilities are re-enrolling and staying in school through our partnership with the Civil Society Organization and support from school inclusion committees.

Grade one to four students are developing their literacy and socio-emotional skills in the classroom and in community Reading Clubs with help from Right To Play-trained teachers using play-based learning. Through the EQIE initiative, girls who initially struggled with low reading scores started to outperform boys, showing that play-based learning fosters an equitable and inclusive environment where girls can thrive.

In 2019, we worked with peer agencies in the National Network for Education for All to push for the repeal of Decree 39/2003, which prohibited pregnant girls from attending school, and we continue to work with national advocacy networks to support girls to stay in school and ensure that girls' voices are heard in critical discussions.

Under the SHARE project, funded by Global Affairs Canada, we’re working with the government and local partners to improve access to sexual and reproductive health information and services for adolescents and youth. By training youth as change agents, we’re challenging harmful gender norms and championing policies that address the needs of both girls and boys, fostering a more equitable and informed generation.

“I tell my friends that we cannot stop studying to get married. We must study to guarantee our future.” Felda

Key Supporters and Partners

We collaborate with the Government of Mozambique through the The Ministry of Education and Human Development and the Secretariat of State for Youth and Employment to implement our programs.

Our work is made possible with generous support from donors, including Global Affairs Canada, the Government of Norway, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Embassy of Finland in Maputo.

We also work closely with key implementing partners such as FHI360, UNFPA, WaterAid, the National Alliance for Education for All (MEPT), the National Alliance for Elimination of Early Marriages (CECAP), Pedagogical University, Resilience and local organizations such as AMME, Okuluvela, OSSIDUCO, VUKOXA, OCSIDA, SANTAC and the Gorongosa Restoration Project to deliver impactful programs that create lasting change.

Country Office Address

Rua Fernão Melo e Castro, N0 276, First Floor
Maputo, Bairro da Sommerchield

+258 82 304 2021