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Lighting Up Her Future: How One Young Woman in Mozambique is Rewiring Gender and Opportunity

Mozambique
03.06.2025
In Mozambique, where nearly 70% of the population is under the age of 30, the future lies in the hands of its youth - but so do its greatest development challenges. Too many young Mozambicans, especially girls, are shut out of formal employment, vocational pathways, and economic agency. Nationally, only 7% of working youth aged 15–24 are formally employed (ILO, 2023), and for young women, the barriers are steeper: gender norms, low access to training, and scepticism about their skills in male-dominated trades. But in the heart of Marracuene district, 19-year-old Alice Cumbane is short-circuiting those assumptions - one electrical connection at a time.
Hands-on and focused - Alice assembles a power component under the Mozambican sun. Her work speaks to the growing role of women in technical trades.  

Walking 6 Kilometres to Rewire Her Future

Alice lives in the growing neighbourhood of Mumemo with her parents and two brothers. Her dream is bold: to become an electrical engineer - in a country where women in technical trades still face an uphill battle. In 2023, she enrolled in the Electrical Installation course at the Mumemo Secondary and Vocational Institute, as part of the Skills to Build project - implemented by Swisscontact.

"When I heard about the possibility of training in a technical field, I didn’t hesitate to enroll. My dream is to become an electrical engineer,"
she says, her voice steady with purpose and conviction.

She walked six kilometres each day to attend training—while juggling self-employment to cover her own expenses. Her parents couldn’t afford tuition.

"I saw this as a good start. An opportunity to get a job, help my parents, continue my studies, and fulfil my needs."

Technical Skills, Real-World Experience, and the Confidence to Persist

After graduating, Alice interned with EDM (Electricidade de Moçambique) - Mozambique’s national power utility - gaining practical experience and teamwork skills.

"During the internship, I put into practice what I learnt at the institute, and I also learnt how to work as part of a team,"
she says.

But like many Mozambican youth, she faced a difficult truth: skills alone don’t guarantee formal employment. The World Bank estimates that only 25% of TVET graduates in Mozambique find formal jobs within a year of completing their training (World Bank, 2021).

So Alice adapted. She joined her brother, Anselmo, an informal electrician, and began taking on jobs.

"Faced with a lack of formal employment, I decided to go into self-employment. It’s been a great challenge, because I feel that I need to prove to society that I’m capable of carrying out work in the field of electricity."
"I’m happy to be working with her. Because she has completed training and has a certificate, she will be able to access opportunities that are sometimes limited for me."
Her brother proudly adds,
Precision and purpose - Alice installs a power socket, showing that women belong not only in classrooms but on worksites too.

The Swisscontact Approach: Partnerships that Empower, Not Prescribe

Alice’s journey is part of the Skills to Build project, implemented by Swisscontact in collaboration with local vocational institutes and community stakeholders. Through this initiative, Swisscontact works to:

  • Expand access to technical and vocational training in rural and peri-urban areas.
  • Strengthen gender inclusion in male-dominated fields.
  • Equip youth with entrepreneurship and soft skills to succeed beyond the classroom.
  • Support self-employment as a viable and respected pathway.
  • This model doesn’t just train - it transforms. It acknowledges the informal realities of Mozambique’s economy and meets youth where they are.

A Girl, A Dream, A Different Kind of Power

Today, Alice earns income, supports her family, and studies through distance learning - she’s now in Grade 12. Her goal ? University, and eventually, becoming an engineer.

"It’s so rewarding to get out of the house to work. That’s why, no matter what people say, we should never limit ourselves," she says. “Try it and you’ll see. We’re all capable - as long as we do it with love, commitment and dedication. It’s just a question of courage."
Alice carefully closes an electrical panel during routine inspection - confidently applying the skills gained through the Skills to Build project. 

In a country where youth potential is often dimmed by structural inequality, Alice is proof that with the right spark, the future can be brighter- and more inclusive - for everyone.

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.