27 November 2019 -- Maputo, Mozambique Mrs Graca Machel Speech  Good morning!  Let me begin by welcoming you all to my home of Mozambique!  A very warm welcome to Maputo, especially to our guests who have come from afar to attend this symposium as well as my colleagues from the International Board of
 Maputo, November 27 2019 Child sexual exploitation is on the rise in Africa and is affecting the entire continent, according to a shocking new study released today [November 27]. An increasingly accessible and unregulated internet, combined with weak law enforcement and a rise in child sex tourism have together created a perfect storm of
 Beatrice Kajiru Matau is a Tanzania business woman who is making headway in the transport and logistics sector in east and southern Africa. Brought up by a determined and entrepreneurial single parent who owned a retail shop and bred poultry, inspired her from an early age. At home when Beatrice, the youngest of five children,
20 November, 2019  The Graça Machel Trust is bringing the Women Creating Wealth Entrepreneurship Development Programme to South Africa. Women Creating Wealth is a Pan-African initiative that has significantly grown the businesses and positively impacted the entrepreneurial behaviours, skills, and confidence of women entrepreneurs.  The programme that has been tested in three African
What's in the food? The month of October saw a lot of attention given to food, particularly around World Food Day, (WFD) that falls on 16th October of each year. And also, it is good to see that on the continent, we will be commemorating Africa Day of Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS) on 30th
  This year's International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC) focused on celebrating the amazing things girls are achieving that prove they are unscripted and unstoppable! In keeping up with the goals and objectives of the Isithunzi initiative-restoring her dignity, the Graça Machel Trust (GMT) team in partnership with the AngelRock Project South Africa
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting childrenâs rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Childrenâs Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescentsâ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trustâs goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a motherâs health and social economic conditions, the early years of a childâs life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.