Article by Samo Jossefa Samo; Photo Joao Fernandes
Mozambique continues to face a series of socioeconomic challenges, natural shocks and public health emergencies that intensify the inequalities already present in the country’s growth pattern. In Sofala Province, children represent approximately 51% of the population—more than 1,408,052 children aged 0 to 17. These children experience poverty and deprivation across essential areas such as education, health and nutrition, water and sanitation, violence against children, child marriage, teenage pregnancy and climate vulnerability, all of which significantly impact their well-being. Around 33% of children are affected by multidimensional poverty, while child mortality and chronic malnutrition remain high.
Despite progress made toward fulfilling children’s rights, much remains to be done to achieve sustainable and inclusive outcomes. In response, the Gorongosa Restoration Project (GRP) is strengthening partnerships with key stakeholders to accelerate program implementation and address persistent deprivations affecting children and their families.
On December 4, 2025, leaders and technical experts from UNICEF Mozambique and Gorongosa National Park (GNP) gathered for a landmark co-creative workshop aimed at establishing a long-term, transformative partnership. During the session, participants defined a shared vision for an integrated development model that advances both child rights and conservation priorities in Sofala Province. They also mapped existing interventions, identified strategic synergies, established a governance structure and developed a comprehensive resource mobilization strategy.
The workshop solidified a groundbreaking approach that connects children’s rights and environmental conservation within a unified framework. Rather than viewing these as separate agendas, UNICEF and GNP emphasized that child well-being and ecosystem health are mutually dependent. This integrated model—merging social services, education, health initiatives and conservation—has the potential to serve as a replicable blueprint for sustainable development in Mozambique and beyond.
The joint mapping exercise revealed strong complementarities between the two organizations. UNICEF contributes scale, systems strengthening and technical expertise in child-centered programming, while GNP offers deep community trust, conservation expertise and strong operational capacity on the ground. By leveraging these strengths—such as through jointly training community health workers, integrating digital learning into Girls’ Clubs and co-creating green employment opportunities for youth—the partnership can generate far greater impact than either institution could achieve alone.
The creation of a two-tier coordination mechanism consisting of a Strategic Oversight Committee and a Technical Working Group, supported by designated thematic focal points, ensures that the partnership will progress from planning to effective implementation. A detailed action plan—complete with timelines, responsibilities and a joint resource mobilization strategy—provides the accountability framework needed to maintain momentum and achieve tangible results for children and communities in Sofala.
The workshop resulted in a powerful shared commitment: to pioneer an integrated, community-centered development model that delivers lasting positive outcomes for children, families and the environment. This approach acknowledges that the well-being of future generations is inseparable from the health of the ecosystems they depend on. By combining UNICEF’s expertise in social services and child rights with GNP’s extensive community presence and conservation experience, the partnership seeks to redefine sustainable development in the province.
The UNICEF–GNP workshop successfully laid the foundation for a transformative partnership with the potential to bring meaningful and lasting change to the children and communities of Sofala Province. With a clear shared vision, solid governance structure, comprehensive donor mapping and a concrete plan of action, both organizations are well positioned to advance this work. The next steps include the distribution of the workshop report and the timely scheduling of the first governance meetings to maintain momentum and begin implementation.