Interview with Professor Albino Duvane: The Cooperation between AICS and REMOTELINE for the Inclusion of People with Hearing Disabilities in Mozambique

Posted on 22/09/202322/09/2023 by AICS Maputo

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.”

A new office for AICS in Mozambique: opened the new space in Chimoio

Posted on 25/01/202325/01/2023 by AICS Maputo

Inaugurazione ufficio chimoio

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.

Innovation and technology for Mozambique: the “Emerging African Innovation Leaders” initiative advances in the country

Posted on 15/07/201901/07/2020 by AICS Maputo

Martina Bolognesi, Communication Officer at AICS Maputo

Do you remember when we talked about the “Emerging African Innovation Leaders” initiative? The project was launched in 2018 by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation together with two of the most prestigious technical universities in Italy, Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino. Its objective being to accompany the embracement of the Next Production Revolution (NPR) in selected African countries (Tunisia, Niger, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Mozambique), the initiative allowed 21 selected “innovation brokers” to participate in training sessions covering a wide range of topics connected to the NPR. Digital technologies, new materials and new processes constitute the main pillars around which the NPR will supposedly take place, with a positive impact for the growth of developing countries.

Our Mozambican participants, together with other innovator brokers coming from all over the African continent, took part in the first training session at the Business School of Politecnico di Milano in September/October 2018. In January 2019, the participants came back to their country of origin and supported the creation of a new generation of African innovation leaders through workshop, training sessions and exchange of experiences: the objective was to forge a new generation of trained professionals to enable the NPR in each country. In May 2019, the 22 innovation brokers travelled back to Italy to attend the second part of the in-person training, during which they had the chance to participate in EXCO2019 - the international development cooperation trade with a focus on innovation and sustainable development.

Another key component of the “Emerging African Innovation Leaders” initiative is a digital platform used to exchange ideas and facilitate e-sharing and e-cooperation among innovators, the African Innovation Cradle, created with the support of Italian startup and enterprises.

After the in-person and online training sessions, our four Innovation Brokers worked and developed an innovative project for Mozambique. Their idea, developed by the four of them through the various training sessions, was presented during the “Mozambique Innovation Day” which took place on June, the 10^th at E. Mondlane University in Maputo.

Lucia, Fernando, Claudio and Lourino – the four Mozambican Innovation Leaders, displayed their project at the presence of the Italian Ambassador in Mozambique, Marco Conticelli, the Head of the Italian Agency for Develpment Cooperation in Maputo, Fabio Melloni, as well as Government Officials and representatives from UN Agencies and local universities. The “Smart ecosystem for technology and knowledge growth in manufacturing” is a very ambitious initiative, its aim being the expansion of the fiber-optic internet network existing in Mozambique, called MoRENet. According to our innovation brokers, the expansion of MoRENet coverage in the country would be essential to ensure knowledge transfer from global industry leaders to Mozambican talents. In fact, the expansion of MoRENet paired with the conception and implementation of new tools to ensure technology and education transfer (like online classes and workshops) could support the creation of a highly skilled workforce. This new generation of trained workers is essential for the development of the country for those sectors driving Mozambique growth, like oil and gas, which could represent a significant catalyst for the country’s economy in future years. In fact, the recent discovery from the Italian ENI of a giant gas reserve in the Rovuma basin offshore northern Mozambique represents a precious opportunity. In order to accompany and embrace this opportunity of growth, Mozambican workforce should be technically prepared: the expansion of MoRENet and the realization of digital training and immediate knowledge transfer could play a vital role in a country whose area go beyond 800.000 km2.

We wish our Mozambican Innovation Brokers the greatest luck, and we will keep you posted about the development of this innovative project, putting together education, avant-garde technologies and the strong desire to contribute to Mozambique’s inclusive and sustainable growth.

Universal design and assistive technologies for persons with disabilities: the Italian Cooperation partners with Mozambique to explore innovative solutions and tackle the digital divide

Posted on 15/11/201901/07/2020 by AICS Maputo

Martina Bolognesi, Communication Officer at AICS Maputo

The Maputo Office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, together with the National Institute for the Electronic Government of Mozambique, Eduardo Mondlane University and Oslo Metropolitan University, has recently organized an international conference on Universal Design and Assistive Information and Communication Technologies for the Inclusion of persons with disabilities in Mozambique. The conference had the ambition to share international best practices, take stock of the legal and policy framework and identify opportunities to enhance the social and economic inclusion of persons with disabilities in Mozambique, through access to ICTs. It was the first conference ever held in the African country on these themes.

Estimates suggest that around 80% of persons with disability live in developing countries, where their condition is often associated with poverty, exclusion and marginalization. Access to ICTs offers incredible opportunities for economic and social inclusion, having the potential to make significant improvements in the everyday life of persons with disabilities. Universal design allows re thinking and re shaping technologies with a new design that takes into consideration human diversity, progressively eliminating barriers to accessibility and usability faced by all kind of users. At the same time, assistive technologies represent key tools for persons with disabilities to achieve more independence and wellbeing, allowing for tailor made solutions enhancing their effective inclusion.

Low income, low human capital countries like Mozambique face huge challenges in ICTs accessibility and use, while access to ICTs is particularly challenging in remote areas and for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups including women and girls, old people and persons with disabilities. Recent legal and policy reforms (including the Telecommunications Law approved in 2016 and the Information Society Policy 2018) are opening new opportunities for universal access to ICTs in Mozambique. However, no specific ICTs accessibility data are produced regarding persons with disabilities, which represent 2,6% of the total population according to the last census (2017), while only 26,4% of Mozambicans owns a cell phone and 6,6% has regular access to internet.

Bringing together representatives from the Government, the National Commission for Human Rights, academics, innovators, activists and DPOs, local and international civil society organizations, inclusive media groups and the private sector, the conference has contributed to raise awareness on the status of digital inclusion of persons with disabilities in Mozambique, exploring policy reforms options and innovative solutions to bridge the digital divide. Amongst key results, participants have agreed on the importance of creating an informal multistakeholder group which will take forward the policy discussions: besides advocating for more inclusive legal and regulatory reforms, the group aims at feeding into the new Government planning cycle and to the definition of ICTs accessibility and usability results monitoring frameworks in key sectors.

The conference was held on November 12th, 2019 in parallel with a 72 hour-Hackathon taking place at Eduardo Mondlane University and bringing together innovators and developers working on digital solutions (websites or app) to promote the access of persons with disabilities to vocational training and professional opportunities. Winners of the competition have been awarded with a monetary prize, and the winning solutions will be developed and adopted in the framework of a pilot project financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, focusing on access to vocational training and employment for young persons with disability in Mozambique.

Maputo – FOTONOTIZIA ENG 1

Posted on 02/10/201802/10/2018 by

Gerusalemme – Il 14 novembre scorso Emilio Ciarlo, e la titolare della sede AICS di Gerusalemme, Cristina Natoli, hanno visitato assieme tre progetti finanziati dall’AICS in Palestina.

Hanno incontrato il Dott. Ramlawi, Vice Ministro della Salute e visitato il Laboratorio Nazionale di Salute Pubblica a Ramallah. Tenendo presente che l’Italia è lead donor nel settore della salute, le parti hanno ripercorso la cooperazione di lunga data tra Palestina e Italia e hanno discusso dei progetti in corso. Le iniziative di sviluppo finanziate dall’AICS sono attualmente volte al rafforzamento del Sistema di salute primaria in Palestina tramite lo sviluppo di infrastrutture, la fornitura di materiale medico, la formazione dello staff, attività volte al rafforzamento comunitario e alla prevenzione e al controllo delle malattie non trasmissibili.

A Betlemme hanno poi visitato il Mehwar Center e hanno avuto un incontro con il Dott. Daoud al Deek, assistente del Vice Ministro presso il Ministero dello Sviluppo Sociale e con la Dott.ssa Saeda Al Atrash, Direttrice dell’unità “Women and Gender”. Il processo che portò all’apertura del centro cominciò nel 2001 e il Mehwar fu successivamente inaugurato nel 2007 grazie al supporto tecnico e finanziario della Cooperazione Italiana. Il Centro fu costruito nell’ambito di un programma volto a rafforzare le politiche e le azioni governative di prevenzione e risposta alla violenza di genere. Assieme alla presentazione delle attività del centro e delle problematiche sollevate dalle vittime di violenza e dal personale del centro, gli ospiti hanno discusso delle principali sfide e opportunità incontrate dalle donne palestinesi.

La giornata è terminata alla Salesian Technical School di Betlemme dove l’organizzazione della società civile VIS sta realizzando un progetto di sviluppo volto a favorire l’occupazione giovanile nel Distretto. Nel corso della visita il Emilio Ciarlo ha avuto occasione di conoscere i principali risultati raggiunti nell’ambito del progetto quali, ad esempio, i principali risultati raggiunti nell’ambito del progetto quali il dialogo tra scuole pubbliche e private, l’installazione dei pannelli solari sul tetto della scuola e l’ampia scelta di corsi di avviamento professionale offerti dall’istituto.