Fátima Filimonecossa, Mozambique

Sep 20, 2018 | Inspiring Stories - Africa

Fátima Filimonecossa, is 55-years-old, married and the mother of three sons. She was born in Gaza Province and she lives live in Zuza village with her family. She is a student in adult literacy in a class of 32 students (29 women and three men). Fatima shares with us her story of change.

“I am a farmer and I always practiced agriculture in upland areas as means of income generation. The good thing that has happened in my life was the fact that my village had become part of an epicentre created by The Hunger Project-Mozambique. With the arrival of this project, I was able to become acquainted with the various programmes. The Literacy Programme appealed to me as I wished to go to school and I never had the opportunity to study.

I started studying, now I am doing the second level, and I want to go to the very end. At the beginning it was difficult to understand, but since I wanted to learn I forced myself the study. Though I don’t know how to read and write all the words correctly, I believe that when you are at the third level, I will learn to do the readings and writing correctly. I already write my name perfectly, which before I could not, and that makes me very happy.

Now I can already do some calculations and observe the service books of my grandchildren – all things that I could not do before because there was no school. I am able to understand what my grandson wrote yesterday or today, because in school they write dates every day that they have classes, and as I can already read the numbers easily, I can understand.

I am very sorry when I see young people who should be attending school, but are not. Going to school is very important. My great dream is to know how to speak, read and write the Portuguese language. I would like that the majority of women and men of my age who did not study go to school to learn, instead of thinking that it is too late to go to school. I thank this programme of adult literacy and The Hunger Project.”

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