
EU Funding For Youth Initiatives
Maputo, 19 Dec (AIM) – The Mozambican Government and the European Union have launched two funding programs valued at 813.4 million Euros (863 million US dollars, at the current exchange rate) to finance youth initiatives.
The initiatives, called “E-Juventude” and “Ecological Pact for Mozambique” will be carried out by Team Europe and its financial institutions to respond to the needs of young people.
The initiatives aim to support young people through a tripartite strategy in the pillars of education, employment and empowerment, also focusing on the sexual and reproductive health of young people across the country, with particular emphasis on the provinces of Maputo, Cabo Delgado, Sofala, Nampula and Inhambane.
According to a report in Monday s issue of the Maputo daily “Notícias”, quoting the permanent secretary of the Youth and Employment Secretariat (SEJE), Ivete Alane, the initiative may become a space for the European Union, the Government and its partners to bring broader results in conjunction with the other ongoing projects.
The program “Ecological Pact for Mozambique”, budgeted at 1.4 million Euros, will support the Government in the protection and restoration of natural capital and improvement of sustainable infrastructure.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Land and Environment, Emília Fumo, said that the pact will add value to the various joint initiatives included in the government’s Five Year Programme (PQG) on environmental strengthening.
“The cooperation that Mozambique has with the European Union and all its member countries is unquestionable. We are once again united to strengthen our commitment, especially with regard to climate change and youth”, Fumo said.
For his part, the European Union Ambassador to Mozambique, António Maggiore, said that young people are the force for innovation in the country and their empowerment is a priority for development.
“The launch of these projects demonstrates the EU’s commitment to future generations by adopting policies of environmental sustainability”, he said.
(AIM)
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