Local Leaders: Abdul Faquir from Meninos de Moçambique

Mozambique’s civil war saw a third of the population internally displaced and the advent of the ‘street-child’ - unaccompanied or orphaned children - in the capital, Maputo. The HIV epidemic, which has led to the deaths of more than one and a half million in Mozambique since the war, has accelerated the issue.

In 2000, thousands of children were living on the streets of Maputo—unrecognised by the government and unable to access even basic services like healthcare, which required government issued identity documentation. Abdul Faquir was working with a project offering medical support to these children. When the project ended, the need didn’t — and Abdul chose to continue the work, founding Meninos de Moçambique.

“We expanded our activities to areas such as access to education through a mobile school, vocational training and social assistance,” explains Abdul.

In 2007, with support from Egmont, Meninos deepened its focus — working not just to support street children, but to reduce their numbers. This meant helping children reintegrate with their families and return to school, providing tutoring and ongoing support to help them stay there.

“This process requires patience, dialogue, and awareness-raising,” says Abdul. “But seeing a child reclaim their place in the family and community, away from the streets, is a huge accomplishment.”

Recognising how poverty often pushes children out of school, Meninos began supporting parents too — raising awareness of children’s rights and helping families build income through small businesses.

“Thanks to Egmont’s support, they stopped going to the street in search of sustenance and started selling products at their homes.”

For older children, Meninos introduced vocational and income-generation training — hairdressing, mechanics, tailoring, bricklaying — and helped young people start their own businesses.

“It is extremely gratifying to see these young people gain income, restore their self- esteem and become agents of change in their communities.”

And it worked. When Meninos started, they identified over 3,000 children street children. Today, they are working with just 140.

This change didn’t come quickly. When Meninos began, the state refused to recognise street children, and many local agencies used tough, punitive approaches. Abdul and his team did the opposite — meeting children where they lived and worked, listening, building trust, and finding real solutions.

They also worked to change systems — using Egmont support to reach out to schools and clinics, so that street children could access services just like any other child.

“Initially, Meninos was the one providing medical support and education. But now we have long-term partnerships with health centres and schools.”

Over time, this patient and collaborative approach has changed both attitudes and structures — making Meninos’ work more sustainable and more impactful, and restoring dignity to children who had been left behind.

Looking ahead, Abdul hopes to expand Meninos’ model to other provinces:

“I hope to see the children and youth served by Meninos achieving full autonomy and independence, becoming agents of transformation and supporting others in vulnerable situations, replicating the values of solidarity and care they received.”