On October 9, 2023, the celebration of the 110th anniversary of the Maputo Natural History Museum took place. The event was attended by the Ambassador of Italy in Mozambique, Gianni Bardini, the Director of the Natural History Museum, Lucília Chuquela, the Rector of Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), Manuel Guilhermo Júnior, the head of the Maputo Office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), Paolo Sertoli, as well as representatives from the government, diplomatic corps, United Nations agencies, and civil society.

The Museum, inaugurated in 1913 as the Museum of the Province of Maputo, has over the years become a beacon for the preservation and promotion of Mozambique’s rich biodiversity and cultural diversity. For example, it houses a collection of 175,000 insects and has more than 500 artifacts related to various areas such as dance, sculpture, music, goldsmithing, ceramics, and basketry. Moreover, it is the most visited institution in Mozambique, receiving 32,000 visitors annually, making it an important tourist attraction in the country.

The Museum will now undergo a rehabilitation under the RINO program, which is funded by AICS. This project, with a funding of 9.5 million euros, aims to ensure the conservation of biodiversity and includes funding for the renovation works of the Museum, which will commence in early 2024 and will last for at least one year.

In his speech, the Italian Ambassador in Mozambique, Gianni Bardini, emphasized that once rehabilitated, the Museum will become “a valuable educational tool about biodiversity and local ecosystems” and an “important space for research and the training of young researchers.” He concluded his speech by highlighting that the renovation of the Museum is “a project that represents a pearl of our cooperation, something that will endure, be beneficial, and bring great advantages to Mozambique.”

On her part, Lucília Chuquela, the Director of the Museum, expressed her deep gratitude for the continuous support from the Italian government to the institution, further emphasizing that when the works are completed, “we will have a modern Museum capable of fully serving the functions of education, exhibition, and research.” Meanwhile, UEM Rector, Manuel Guilhermo Júnior, challenged the institution to make the most of the investment made, in order to “become a Museum of reference in Africa and the world.”

After the speeches, visitors had the opportunity to explore the exhibition panels detailing the Museum’s renovation process. The event concluded with a concert performed by the artist Rajih Ali.

Today, we celebrate the International Day of Sign Languages, a date aimed at highlighting the importance of sign languages in ensuring the human rights of individuals with hearing impairments.

In Mozambique, according to the latest official data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) in 2017, there were 68,000 people with hearing disabilities and mutism. People with hearing disabilities face various challenges, including the lack of a universally recognized sign language. Worldwide, there are over 300 varieties of sign languages, making communication more complex for individuals growing up in different regions. This linguistic diversity adds further communication barriers, alongside limitations in inclusive education and the risk of discrimination.

To ensure access to information for people with hearing disabilities, AICS has collaborated with the Mozambican company REMOTELINE. For example, during the National Conference on Quality Education in July, six REMOTELINE interpreters provided sign language interpretation in all sessions. At FACIM, AICS had REMOTELINE interpreters to translate lectures and the speech of the Italian Ambassador to Mozambique, Gianni Bardini, on Italy Day.

To commemorate the International Day of Sign Languages, we conducted an interview with Professor Albino Duvane, the founder of REMOTELINE. During this conversation, we explored the challenges faced by people with hearing disabilities in Mozambique, discussed potential solutions, and examined the crucial role that cooperation plays in promoting the inclusion of these individuals. For more information, please continue reading.

AICS Maputo Office: First of all, we would like to thank you for your availability. How did the need to study sign languages arise?

Professor Albino Duvane: Once, I was with a colleague conducting malaria awareness work in the Gaza Province. In one house, we encountered a person with a hearing impairment, and since I didn’t know sign language, I couldn’t share information on how to protect against this disease. I felt very frustrated for not being able to communicate with this person and share this important message.

This left me with a sense of guilt and ignited a sense of social responsibility. I realized that individuals with hearing disabilities were not at fault for not being able to hear or speak orally; the responsibility to adjust communication lay with me. I decided to learn sign language.

AICS Maputo Office: Could you then tell us how you learned sign language?

Professor Albino Duvane: My learning took place with a young man with a hearing impairment who was in my village teaching sign language at a religious convention. He shared some basic knowledge with me but could only stay for three days. Afterward, I conducted online research to learn more about American Sign Language, although I had to adapt it to our community’s needs as the local signs were different. At that time, there was no sign language school in Maputo, so it was a self-taught process with guidance from some individuals.

AICS Maputo Office: When did you start working for the inclusion of people with hearing disabilities?

Professor Albino Duvane: When I came to Maputo, I began assisting at the Central Hospital of Maputo, where a doctor friend of mine worked. I helped with interpretation when there were patients with hearing disabilities.

I collaborated with the Association of the Deaf and worked in partnership with FAMOD (Forum of Mozambican Associations of Persons with Disabilities). This allowed me to better understand how individuals with disabilities cope with their daily challenges, especially regarding communication. This experience instilled in me a strong sense of responsibility and a desire to create something that could help them.

AICS Maputo Office: So how did the idea of founding REMOTELINE come about?

Professor Albino Duvane: With the arrival of COVID-19 in 2020, I could no longer provide in-person assistance to patients at the Central Hospital of Maputo. That’s when the idea of providing services remotely came about, and thus, “RemoteLine” was born. The platform was created to continue supporting people with hearing disabilities, even in the context of COVID and in a remote manner.

AICS Maputo Office: During almost three years of existence, what have been the company’s successes?

Professor Albino Duvane: We conducted advocacy and awareness work with the National Assembly, requesting that all plenary sessions broadcasted on television include sign language interpretation. Since 2021, this has been happening, which was a significant achievement. We also collaborated with the United States Embassy, teaching sign language to all staff, including the Ambassador. Finally, it’s worth mentioning that FAMOD, besides being our partner, is also a client.

AICS Maputo Office: What does it mean for REMOTELINE and for you to collaborate with Italian Cooperation? How do you assess the collaboration with AICS in the context of FACIM and the National Conference on Quality Education?

Professor Albino Duvane: It is a great honor to work with Italian Cooperation. Italy sets a great example in the inclusion of people with disabilities. Working with you provides opportunities to improve our interventions for people with hearing disabilities. It is also an opportunity to continue our projects.

Regarding the second question, working at both events was of extreme importance. Our interpreters were able to provide simultaneous sign language translation for all the conferences and roundtable discussions at the National Conference on Quality Education, thereby fulfilling the event’s motto, “For Quality, Inclusive, and Equitable Education in Favor of Sustainable Development.”

Furthermore, it was a great honor to participate in FACIM. One of our interpreters felt deeply honored to provide simultaneous translation for the Italian Ambassador to Mozambique, Gianni Bardini, on Italy Day. Participating in FACIM also provided us with the opportunity to interact with various entities and introduce REMOTELINE, with the goal of promoting the inclusion of people with hearing disabilities in Mozambique.

AICS Maputo Office: What are the main barriers that people with hearing disabilities face in Mozambique?

Professor Albino Duvane: The issue of education has been a significant barrier for people with hearing disabilities, especially in the use of sign languages.

The biggest challenge faced by the deaf is when sign languages are not available. If they go to a hospital without an interpreter, proper diagnosis and treatment become problematic. It all comes down to the issue of communication. The key to overcoming these difficulties is ensuring access to sign language in all services provided.

AICS Maputo Office: What is the importance of having dates like the International Day of Sign Languages?

Professor Albino Duvane: These dates are essential for reflecting on the need to support people with hearing disabilities, reminding us that despite social progress, there are still individuals who require attention due to the neglect of their communication needs. In summary, these dates are opportunities to raise awareness and remind everyone about the importance of supporting people with hearing disabilities.”

Friday, 20^th of January 2023 saw the opening of the new program headquarters of the Italian Development Cooperation Agency (AICS) in the city of Chimoio (Province of Manica).

In the presence of the Governor of the Province of Manica, Francisca Domingos Tomás, the Ambassador of Italy in Mozambique, Gianni Bardini, and the Head of the AICS Office in Maputo, Paolo Enrico Sertoli, the new office was presented to the population and local authorities.

The Province of Manica is of great importance to the AICS office in Maputo, which over the years has established a strong network of relationships in the area. The new program office, in fact, will become the logistics center for two important programs, today in their initial stages:

AID 12300 – DELPAZ – Desenvolvimento Local para a Consolidação da Paz em Moçambique, is a program of the Mozambican Government financed by the European Union with the aim of contributing to the consolidation of peace at a subnational level in Mozambique. The program is currently operating in 14 districts of the provinces of Manica, Tete and Sofala, where activities are carried out to strengthen local institutions, for the benefit of the population that has most suffered from the consequences of the conflict.

AID 12248 – AS MULHERES NO SUSTENTA, which aims to promote rural development and job creation in the rural areas of the Province of Manica through support to the MADER 2020-2024 Program and the SUSTENTA initiative, with particular attention to women producers.

In addition to these two programs, AICS is already working in the Manica area with other important, well established projects, which will now find a new landmark in the new AICS headquarters in Chimoio. Particularly:

The AID 11671 initiative “Improving the inclusive and sustainable development of agricultural supply chains, including the typical Ibo coffee”, in collaboration with UNIDO, with the aim of increasing income generation for small producers in Cabo Delgado and Manica, through the promotion of inclusive and sustainable supply chains in the fruit and vegetable and coffee sectors.

The AID 9021 initiative “Rural Development Support Program (PADR) in the Provinces of Manica and Sofala”, launched in 2010, implemented by MADER through the Fundo de Fomento Agrario e Extension Rural (FAR, FP) with the aim of improving the income and social conditions of the rural populations of the Provinces of Manica and Sofala.

The opening ceremony of the new program office was also the occasion to deliver four five-ton trucks and four motorcycles that will contribute to the enhancement of local agricultural services, in the framework of the AID program. 9021 – PADR.

At the end of the ceremony, the Italian Ambassador Gianni Bardini and AICS Head of Office Paolo Enrico Sertoli had the opportunity to visit the district of Macate, where they were able to speak with the beneficiaries of the programs financed by AICS and see the results achieved so far in the areas of intervention.