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Two Paths, One Second Chance

Mozambique
29.10.2026
At 22, Bruno Abedningo Macamo works as a Customer Registry Inspector at the Matola branch of Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM). Although he carries out his duties at EDM, he is employed through Maguezi SA, a company contracted to provide services to the utility. He has been in this role since January 2025. Three years ago, he had no school certificate, no technical skills and no clear way into the labour market.

The challenge

Bruno grew up in Polana Caniço, a neighbourhood in Maputo. After losing his father, he took on family responsibilities early and supported his mother at home. Financial and family pressures forced him to leave school before finishing basic education.

Many young Mozambicans share this experience. Almost half of children do not complete primary school. Young people who leave school early are often too young or under-qualified to enter vocational training, so they stay outside both the education system and the formal labour market.

The turning point

In 2023, Bruno was selected for "O Futuro é Meu" (The Future is Mine). Swisscontact implements this component of the Skills to Build project together with the Associação Salesiana de Dom Bosco Moçambique (ASDBM). It helps young people who have left school to finish compulsory education while building vocational and life skills.

Bruno returned to school and also completed basic training in electricity. For the first time, he had practical, market-relevant skills and the confidence to plan his future.

From training to employment

After his training, Bruno did a three-month internship at EDM. He stood out for his dedication, discipline, and willingness to learn. When Maguezi advertised vacancies, he applied and was hired on merit.

Today, he travels long distances every day to register and update customer data. His work improves the quality of EDM's customer information and helps reduce energy losses, which matter to the company's performance. The daily targets are demanding, and he meets them with responsibility and professionalism.

Bruno wants to keep learning and plans to study Electricity and Industrial Maintenance.

Bruno, a technician at Magueze, in his work uniform.
"I am very happy for the opportunity Swisscontact gave us. Because I could go back to school and get vocational training, I now work for a well-known company. To other young people I say: the road is always ahead. Our past and the difficulties we faced do not decide our future. We all have the right to start again and build a new story."
...Bruno says.

Why it matters

Bruno's story shows how Skills to Build works at the system level. Each actor benefits:

  • Young people get a second chance at education, recognised skills**,** and a route into decent work.
  • Companies like EDM get motivated, job-ready staff and can use internships to find talent at low risk.
  • Training providers link their courses more closely to what employers need, so their training becomes more relevant.
Ilídio practises using a multimeter during an electrical training session.

A second pathway: Ilídio da Conceição Nhaca, from out of school to future entrepreneur

Bruno's path led to a job. Ilídio da Conceição Nhaca shows how the same programme can lead to further technical training and self-employment.

Ilídio was born in 2006 and lives in Matola-Fomento. In 2023, she had to leave school because there were not enough school places. Like Bruno, she got a second chance through "O Futuro é Meu". She completed grades 8 to 10, and in 2024 she trained in Basic Electricity and Electrical Installations.

She did not go straight into a job. She continued in the formal training system and enrolled at the Instituto Industrial e Comercial da Matola (IICM) in December 2025 to study Industrial Electricity. Her earlier training gave her a strong foundation for the course. She also does small electrical repairs in homes in her community, and the income helps pay for her studies.

Ilídio has noticed that many broken appliances are thrown away because few technicians can repair them. She plans to start her own electrical maintenance and supply business and to hire other skilled young people.

Ilídio and Vitória check electrical readings during a practical exercise.
"What I learned helps me not only with my studies but also to earn some income."
...Ilídio says

Together, the two stories show how Skills to Build works across the skills system. Bruno moved into formal employment with a major company. Ilídio moved on to further technical education and is building a business. Both started as school dropouts. Ilídio's story also shows the project's work to bring more young women into technical trades that are still dominated by men.

The project connects education, vocational training, and private-sector demand. This helps close the gap between the skills young people have and the skills companies need, one of the main barriers to youth employment in Mozambique. Since 2017, Skills to Build has improved the employability and income of more than 5,300 vulnerable young people and low-skilled workers. In the previous phase alone, it arranged 845 internships across 40 companies.

Bruno and Ilídio’s paths from dropout to skilled professional and student show what is possible when education, training, and employers work together.

This project is financed by the Medicor Foundation, Happel Foundation, and Linsi-Foundation. 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.