Spreading hope in a country in crisis

Sara Cordoso, Mindera PT Foundation

Few people in the world have had to face the challenges of those living in Mozambique. The south-eastern African country, defined by its long Indian Ocean coastline that gives way to a central plateau and highlands to the north and west, has had more than its fair share of political and meteorological turmoil over the years. Current struggles include a surge in poverty, a major humanitarian crisis from conflict and climate disasters, and political instability.

Right now, the country faces an escalating insurgency in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, which has displaced over a million people. This has been compounded by the impact of Cyclone Chido in December 2024 and disputed elections. It’s also the focus of the Kukula Mindera Mozambique, one of the humanitarian projects the Mindera PT Foundation is most proud of.

Supporting learning

Mindera is always looking for ways to further its mission of using its success to help communities in need. And few need more than those in Mozambique. Deeply affected by the unfolding crisis across the country, the Mindera PT Foundation felt compelled to act.

After carefully assessing the situation to pinpoint where the biggest impact could be made, in 2021 the Mindera PT Foundation began actively supporting a learning centre, Kukula, at a primary school in Macia in the country’s Gaza province. Every year, Mindera funds teachers, learning materials and the administrative costs for a class of 40 disadvantaged children between the ages of six and 11.

Food for thought

As the project unfolded, it became clear that the students were lacking nutrition, which was damaging their health and their studies. So, in 2024, Mindera responded by providing a full daily meal for each student ever since. For some, it’s their only meal of the day. The next initiative planned for roll out over the coming months is training Kukula Mindera’s teachers and support team in Google tools to ensure they are better equipped to help students thrive.

The Mindera PT Foundation team’s regular visits to Kukula Mindera are always highly emotional experiences. The distress at the situation across the country coupled with the positive impact being made locally through the project and the intensely moving excitement and gratitude of the students can be truly overwhelming.

In the grand scheme of things, we may only be making a small difference. But to our Kukula Mindera students it means the world.

Diogo Velho, Mindera Code Academy Teacher

To find out more about Kukula Mindera, contact the Mindera PT Foundation team…