News

Moza Banco's social arm, Clube Moza, recently launched a solidarity project aimed at supporting around 6,000 vulnerable girls who face difficulties in guaranteeing their full personal hygiene during menstruation.

The aim of this two-year project is to ensure that girls living in poverty do not feel obliged to leave school during their menstrual period, thereby maintaining their academic performance.

Being implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Human Development, the Ciclo Solidário (Cycle of Solidarity) project will allow Clube Moza members, and other partners such as the vegetable oil and soap production factory, FASOREL, to donate sustainable and safe menstrual hygiene kits in various parts of the country, with the district of Guijá, in Gaza province, being the first region covered, as early as September.

As well as donating the hygiene kits, Moza employees who identified with the project have been invited to take on the role of "godmothers" and counsellors to some of the girls who will benefit from the initiative, getting involved in the day-to-day lives of these teenagers and providing material and moral support whenever possible.

For the Chairperson of Clube Moza's Volunteering Committee, Marta Manhique, the project helps to promote an increasingly inclusive school environment that promotes equal opportunities for men and women.

"Let me highlight the sustainability of this project, since the pads to be given to the girls are reusable, which makes them disposable, thus avoiding plastic waste that pollutes the environment with materials that take centuries to decompose," Manhique said.

The initiative's ambassador, Samira Franco, pointed to the issue of period poverty as an obstacle to girls’ dreams being achieved.

"We are in favour of an increasingly inclusive society and for the reduction of gender-based social inequalities. We embrace this cause in the hope of contributing to a reduction and perhaps eradication of girls dropping out of school, as, for us, period poverty is a suppressor of dreams. It's not someone else’s problem, but one for society as a whole to face, which is why we need to encourage awareness and participation from everyone," Samira Franco said.

In conclusion, the Chairperson of Moza Banco's Executive Committee, Manuel Soares, praised the initiative, saying that "the Solidarity Cycle Project is a shining example of how Clube Moza is committed to making a difference in the communities where Moza Banco operates. The initiative not only promotes the health and well-being of girls, but also strengthens education and, consequently, the future of the country."

The implementation of this project responds to the commitment established by Clube Moza as a member of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) - an international organisation created to support women, children and adolescents worldwide.

The Board Chairman of Moza Banco, João Figueiredo, has just been distinguished once again by the “African Business Leadership Award”, this time with the award for "Inspirational Business Leadership in Africa" in recognition of his exceptional leadership capacity in a changing environment.

The award is given by African Leadership Magazine, a renowned pan-African publication based in London, which focuses on bringing the best of Africa to a global audience, seeking to develop solutions to the unique challenges facing the continent today.

According to the publication, the Board Chairman of Moza Banco earned the award for having "demonstrated a clear sense of purpose in his actions and for having propelled others to extraordinary performance".

The official award ceremony is scheduled for 4^th July in London and will be attended by Moza Banco.

In this category, there were other nominees such as Afua Asabea Asare, CEO, Ghana Export Promotion Authority; Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, Managing Director, Fidelity Bank Nigeria; Abena Brigidi, CEO Nimed Capital Limited Ghana and Hussein Abaza, CEO, Commercial International Bank (CIB), Egypt.

It is worth remembering that in February this year, the Board Chairman of Moza Banco was awarded the "excellence in business management in Africa" prize by the same publication, in recognition of his contribution to the growth and development of Moza Banco, in particular his leading role in the Bank's recovery from a loss of 776 million meticais in 2019 to a profit of 146 million meticais in 2020.

The Governor of Sofala Province, Lourenço Bulha, inaugurated on Monday morning, a Power Transformer Substation (PT) in the District of Maringue, funded by Moza, as part of its social responsibility programme.

The inaugurated infrastructure is located specifically in Regulado de Samater in the Nhamithembe Village, in the region and will benefit over two hundred families and several local public infrastructures.

Moza’s support for this cause arises in response to a request from the District Government expressed at the time the Moza branch was inaugurated in that District, in March of this year, an event led by President Filipe Nyusi. Made aware of the issue, and recognising the importance of the provision of electricity for economic and social development, the Bank unreservedly attached itself to this initiative.

“We would like to thank Moza Banco for promptly responding to our request. The inauguration of this PT is proof of the Government's efforts for the expansion of socio-economic infrastructures with the objective of leveraging the productive capacity and bringing well-being to the people, with greater focus on rural areas. The arrival of energy to the population of Nhamithembe means the materialisation of one of our goals, namely the placement of infrastructures that boost productive activities, job generation and an improved quality of life for our population,” Lourenço Bulha said.

The inauguration ceremony was witnessed by the CEO of Moza Banco, Manuel Soares, who highlighted the importance of the infrastructure for the local population and reiterated the Bank's commitment to actively contribute to the social and economic progress of communities, particularly in the regions where the Bank has a commercial presence, such as the District of Maringué.

“As we identify with the issue, we have made efforts and mobilised the necessary resources to make this dream a reality. The Bank expects that the electricity system just inaugurated will help boost economic activity in this village and attract other essential services whose installation was dependent on the availability of quality electricity,” he indicated.

The Bank also took advantage of the event to proceed with the donation of agricultural seeds to local farmers, with a view to strengthening the productive capacity of Maringue District for the 2022/2023 agricultural year that begins this October.

Marínguè counts on Moza.

As part of its social responsibility programme, Moza Banco has sponsored the construction of 5 bus stops for public passenger transport along the Marracuene-Macaneta stretch, inaugurated last Friday 18^th November, by the Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources, Carlos Mesquita, at an event in which the Bank was represented by its Executive Committee member, Jaime Joaquim.

The support from Moza comes in the wake of the inauguration of the road linking the capital of Marracuene district to the village of Macaneta, with a length of 8.42 kilometres. According to the Minister of Public Works, Carlos Mesquita, the road will allow the circulation of people and goods in a safe, comfortable and permanent way, as well as reducing the travel time between Macaneta and Marracuene. Regarding the bus stops sponsored by Moza, the minister appealed to the communities to take care of the infrastructures in order to guarantee that they last longer for the benefit of all.

"These bus stops aim to provide users who use public transport with a protected and comfortable place so that they can safely wait for their bus, thus reducing their exposure to the sun, rain and wind."

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony for the road and bus stops, Moza Executive Committee Member Jaime Joaquim highlighted the Bank's commitment to support causes that contribute to the country's development, as well as the importance of the bus stops in the safety of public passenger transport users.

"It is Moza's goal when supporting this initiative, which we consider of great public convenience, to make a protected and comfortable place available to passengers, so that they can safely wait for their bus. The bus stops present themselves, therefore, as a welcoming space that aims to facilitate the access to the buses and minibuses (chapas) that circulate on this route, reinforcing safety for users".

It should be noted that the bus stops just built will also serve as an important communication support for the Bank, in which the Moza brand will be exposed through the disclosure of the Bank's campaigns in these spaces.