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He Travels 56 Kilometres a Day to Chase His Dream - And It’s Paying Off

Mozambique
18.06.2025
In Mozambique’s urban fringes, where opportunity often plays hard to get, a young man’s grit and grease-stained resolve are rewriting the odds.
 Tsalala, a suburb on the edge of Matola Municipality, is no stranger to hardship. Like many peri-urban neighbourhoods across the country, it wrestles with poverty, high youth unemployment, and limited access to vocational training. But for 25-year-old Side Altino Muianga, these realities were not dead-ends - they were fuel.
 Born in 1999 and raised in Tsalala, Side is now a mechanical technician at Ronil Auto, one of Mozambique’s leading players in the automotive industry. His journey, however, has been anything but smooth.

The Long Road to Work - Literally

To get to work every day, Side commutes 56 kilometres round-trip - a grueling journey by train and minibus that would wear down most. But for him, each kilometre is a kilometre closer to his dreams.

"Every day I travel 56 km by train and minibus to get to work. Despite the exhaustion, I see each kilometre as a step towards my goals,"
says Side.

His story echoes that of many young Mozambicans pushed to the margins of the formal economy, forced to navigate broken transport systems and disproportionate opportunity gaps. But his persistence makes him stand out.

Side Altino Muianga puts theory into practice at Ronil Auto - where each repair sharpens his skills and brings him closer to mastering his craft.

A Career Built on Grease, Grit, and Guts

Mozambique’s technical and vocational education system still faces major limitations — from a shortage of training slots and inadequate equipment to systemic barriers that make access especially difficult for young people from suburban areas like Tsalala. Side represents the thousands of youth who, despite these odds, persist. After completing high school in 2016, he applied to the Industrial and Commercial Institute of Matola (IICM) to study automotive mechanics. He didn’t make the cut.

Many would have stopped there. Not Side.

He went to work as an assistant to his uncle, a local mechanic. For two years, he learned by doing - fixing engines, handling tools, and absorbing every ounce of mechanical wisdom the informal garage had to offer.

"After not being able to enter the training, I decided to work with my uncle while waiting to apply again. It was two intense years of practical learning, where the smell of oil, the sound of tools, and the curiosity to understand the functioning of each engine only increased my desire to graduate"
he recalls.

In 2018, his persistence paid off. He gained admission to IICM and enrolled in the automotive mechanics program, formalising what he had already begun on the ground.

From Intern to Employee: Swisscontact Bridges the Gap

In Mozambique, the bridge between vocational training and formal employment is often shaky - if it exists at all. Internships in quality work environments are a luxury few can afford or access. But Side caught a break.

In June 2023, he was selected for a Swisscontact-supported internship program, implemented in partnership with IICM. His placement? Ronil Auto.

There, he encountered the kind of tools and technology he had only heard about - and he didn’t waste a second.

"From the first day of the internship, I dived in headfirst, determined to learn and contribute. By the second month, I felt confident enough to perform tasks alone, although under supervision. I believe this dedication caught the company's attention and opened doors for my hiring,"
he says.
Side Altino Muianga conducts a diagnostic test at Ronil Auto, using modern tools to ensure precision in every repair.

More Than Just a Job

Side’s trajectory is a powerful reminder that when young people are given a real shot - even just one - they don’t just take it. They run with it.

Today, he is a full-time technician at Ronil Auto, not only earning a living but carving a career in a field he loves. His story offers hope to a generation of young Mozambicans navigating similar constraints.

In a country where youth unemployment remains staggeringly high and access to quality vocational training is out of reach for many, Side’s success is proof that persistence matters - but so does support.

Thanks to the backing of key partners, Swisscontact continues to connect training with opportunity - helping young people like Side turn potential into reality and chart a path to dignified work.

Because sometimes, it’s not about starting ahead. It’s about refusing to stop - no matter how long the road.

Focused and hands-on: Side Altino Muianga troubleshoots a vehicle system, putting his skills to work in a fast-paced garage environment.
This project is financed by the Medicor Foundation, Happel Foundation, and Linsi Foundation, among other donors. It is part of the Swisscontact Development Programme, which is co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).