Mozambique: when inclusion breaks down barriers

A childhood marked by challenges

Eunice is 12 years old and lives with her parents and five brothers and sisters in Pemba, a city in the Cabo Delgado region of northern Mozambique. She is the only member of her family to have been born with a disability: her lower limbs are immobilized, which has limited her independence since birth.

Previously, Eunice was entirely dependent on her mother, Flora, and her brothers to meet her most basic needs: feeding, dressing, moving around and personal hygiene.

As Flora devoted almost all her time to caring for her daughter, she had very little time left to earn a living for the family, who lived under constant emotional and economic pressure. Despite everything, love and perseverance were never lacking in this close-knit household.

For young Eunice, going to school was always a challenge. Every day, her mother carried her on her back to school, and once there, Eunice would sit at her desk without moving until the end of the day. During break time, she couldn't go out and play with her classmates and would stay in her seat, waiting for her mother to come and collect her at the end of the day. Despite all these difficulties, Eunice never gave up and held on tightly to her dream of studying and building a better future for herself.

Independence, dignity and hope: inclusion reshapes everyday life

At the end of 2024, Humanity & Inclusion (HI) teams met Eunice and her mother for the first time. After talking to them and assessing their daily lives, they provided Eunice with a wheelchair to help her get around more easily.

Beyond improving the young girl's individual mobility, HI teams focused on improving her living environment. In order to make everyday life easier for Eunice and her family, modifications were made to the house: doors were widened and a ramp was built to allow Eunice's wheelchair to pass through, the bathroom was adapted so that the young girl could move around in it, etc.

These adaptations are essential to restoring Eunice's independence, dignity and hope. Today, she can move around the house on her own, enter and leave her home without difficulty, and even take care of her personal hygiene more independently.

What's more, Flora no longer needs to carry Eunice, who now goes to school in her wheelchair. Accompanied by her friends who help push her wheelchair, Eunice takes part in class, talks and plays like any other child. For the first time, she feels fully included.

A new life for the whole family

Now that her daughter is more independent, Flora has started a small business selling meals and snacks on a busy street right next to her home, which allows her to earn enough to support her family. She says that today she cries with joy, not worry.

Eunice is in Year 6 this year; she is motivated, confident and happy because now that she can get around more easily, she has time to study and play with her friends.

Eunice's story shows that the real obstacles are not caused by disability but by a lack of adaptation of the environment. And as in Eunice's case, thanks to inclusion, we can transform not only a child's life, but also the future of her entire family.

The emergency response project deployed in hard-to-reach areas of Cabo Delgado. Its objective is to improve access to health services for the populations most affected by the conflict. Since 2025, more than 3,400 people have received rehabilitation support and 1,100 people have received mental health and psychosocial and support.