Young Mozambicans are no longer waiting for the future — they are building it

Daily Maverick

a day ago

This project – a living model of social transformation – redefines what it means to include young people. Could it be adapted and replicated in other African territories?
In northern Mozambique – specifically in Cabo Delgado, Nampula and Niassa provinces – young people face a complex reality of exclusion, multidimensional poverty, structural unemployment and a profound erosion of trust between citizens and the state.
Cabo Delgado has been affected by armed conflict since 2017. Non-state groups have launched attacks that have claimed thousands of lives, displaced more than one million people and devastated communities.
The humanitarian crisis has deepened because of the weak presence of the state and unequal access to aid, fuelling feelings of abandonment and resentment.
Simultaneously, the extraction of natural resources such as natural gas and rubies has exposed the tension between promises of development and the persistent exclusion of local populations. In areas like Montepuez and Palma, displaced communities and unemployed young people live alongside multimillion-dollar investments from which they rarely benefit.
The consequences of this sociopolitical and economic fragmentation are visible in everyday life: inadequate education systems, a lack of public services, disempowered local governance structures and an economy that fails to provide decent jobs or promote inclusive growth. As a result, many young people are left disillusioned, navigating a precarious existence that fuels cycles of dependency, marginalisation and, in some cases, radicalisation.
Many young people, cut off from education, healthcare and dignified work, have become easy targets for recruitment into armed groups, trafficking networks or exploitative labour.
Others, driven by a sense of social invisibility, have turned to silence or forced migration. Women and girls in particular face compounded vulnerabilities, often excluded from public life and disproportionately affected by violence and poverty.
It was in this context that the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD), in partnership with the Institute for Social and Economic Studies and the MASC Foundation, and support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, launched more than a project – they built a living model of social transformation.
A living theory shaped by territory
This model emerged from a clear theory of change: to strengthen young people in three dimensions – personal capacity, collective voice and institutional influence. It stands on three practical pillars: youth empowerment and organisation; participatory, rights-based governance; and economic inclusion through cooperatives.
The model recognises that real transformation begins with recognising the dignity, talents and knowledge of communities themselves. Rather than importing prepackaged solutions, it centres on mobilising local resources, facilitating dialogue and co-creating pathways for inclusive and participatory development.
The CDD sees young Mozambicans not only as resilient, but as key actors capable of reshaping the social contract. Young people who were once excluded have become rights holders and protagonists of the present.
In the first phase, youth hubs were created as spaces for training, dialogue and youth-led innovation. Young people received training in transformational leadership, sexual and reproductive rights, 21st-century skills and social entrepreneurship. These hubs served as safe spaces where critical thinking was encouraged and young people could imagine – and begin to build – alternative futures for themselves and their communities.
In parallel, local authorities were trained in rights-based governance and encouraged to adopt inclusive practices.
In the second phase, this empowerment became institutionalised through town hall meetings and policy dialogues, placing youngsters face-to-face with decision-makers. For many, it was the first time that local administrators sat at the same table as youth leaders, not in conflict, but in conversation. This shift towards deliberative democracy challenged top-down governance norms and gave birth to new modes of citizen engagement.
Simultaneously, more than 40 youth-led community cooperatives were formed, inspired by principles of solidarity, economy and social enterprise. These platforms now promote economic autonomy and co-responsibility, allowing young people to generate income while contributing to the wellbeing of their communities. The cooperatives span agriculture, arts, services and ecotourism – often rooted in traditional knowledge but applying modern tools.
In the third phase, the youth hubs evolved into legally recognised associations with local leadership, capacity for civic mobilisation and community dialogue, and the ability to submit proposals to international funders. Many have established partnerships with local governments, NGOs and even private actors – further embedding youth agency in the development architecture of their districts.
Impacts that reshape the future
The impact has been visible and profound:
In local governance, there is greater openness, active listening and responsiveness. Local leaders are increasingly receptive to youth input and more accountable in their public functions.
In youth organisation, mature leadership is emerging with a clear structure and institutional identity. These are not ad hoc movements but structured, autonomous organisations capable of shaping local agendas.
In the political culture, young people are no longer viewed as threats but as strategic partners in development. This is particularly powerful in conflict-affected areas, where restoring trust and legitimacy is essential.
This transformation is anchored in philosopher Axel Honneth's ethics of recognition: development is only possible when individuals are seen, heard and legitimised.
A growing, rooted model
The CDD model is not only sustainable, it is expanding organically through:
Endogenous, replicable youth leadership that adapts to local realities;
The institutionalisation of youth associations and cooperatives that act as permanent civic platforms; and
The consolidation of the Transformational Leadership Academy as a regional centre for civic education and innovation.
This architecture of change is not static – it evolves as young people continue to challenge assumptions, adapt to new realities and assert their place in public life. More than a project, this is a living laboratory of regenerative democracy, responding to a global crisis of trust in democratic institutions with listening, courage and rooted civic action.
In Mozambique, young people are no longer waiting for the future – they are building it, one community, one initiative, one act of leadership at a time.
Could this model be adapted and replicated in other African territories? Could an approach grounded in listening, belonging, organisation and co-responsibility help rebuild trust between young people and the state in regions marked by crisis?
Certainly, no model can be transplanted wholesale. But what Mozambique offers is a blueprint – a possibility. A reminder that the most powerful transformations often begin with small acts of recognition and courage, scaled through collective vision and grassroots leadership.
The answer is not final. But the Mozambican example offers a path that sees young people as the axis of social transformation and a regenerative force for fragile political systems. Perhaps this is, indeed, an African model for Africa's future. DM
Professor Adriano Nuvunga is director of the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights in Mozambique and chairperson of the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network. He leads the activities of the Mozambique Human Rights Defenders Network.
This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.