2024 - 2026
Inclusive development in community life
Impact
In 2025, 2,718 people received rehabilitation services, 404 students with disabilities attended school and 150 people took part in savings and credit groups. In addition, 111 specialists and leaders were trained and 20 young people with disabilities were trained as Disability Inclusion Facilitators. In this way, the project sustainably strengthens education, independence and social participation.
Story
Carolina: “Being a woman with a disability does not mean being a person with limitations.”
At the age of 30, Carolina Mateus Jone is building her future step by step. As a student, entrepreneur and activist at ADPPDM in Chimoio, Manica, she spends part of her time visiting people at home, assisting with physiotherapy sessions and speaking in local communities about the importance of inclusion for people with disabilities. Her journey also reminds us that inclusion is not just about opening doors – it is about ensuring that people have the opportunity to walk through those doors and shape their own futures.
Carolina acquired her disability following a road traffic accident when she was five years old. As she grew up, one of her challenges was not only to navigate life with a disability, but also to cope with how others perceived her. She recalls facing sceptical looks and having to prove her abilities time and again, even with things that others might take for granted. Today, however, these experiences no longer define how she sees herself. Through her work as an activist, Carolina has found a way to transform her own experiences into a source of strength – by encouraging communities to recognise the abilities and potential of people with disabilities. “I won’t be intimidated,” she says, reflecting the self-confidence she has developed over the years.
Her connection to ‘Light for the World’ stems from the rehabilitation project run by ADPPDM, in which she is part of the team of activists. The support she received has helped her to resume her studies and set up a small business, giving her more opportunities to shape her own livelihood. Yet Carolina’s ambitions extend beyond what she has already achieved. She hopes to complete her studies, qualify as a general practice assistant and, through her profession, help to change lives. Ultimately, her story is not about limitations, but about possibilities: the possibility to learn, work, make a contribution and dream on her own terms. As Carolina says with quiet conviction: “Being a woman with a disability does not mean being a person with limitations.”
Images © Light for the World
Description
Worldwide, people with disabilities are disproportionately affected by poverty, limited access to healthcare and education, and disadvantages in the labour market.
Light for the World works on behalf of people with disabilities in the Mozambican provinces of Sofala, Manica and Niassa. The focus is on access to education, healthcare, employment and social participation, particularly for women and girls.
Partner
Approach
The project has four key areas of focus:
inclusive community development, access to high-quality education, economic empowerment, and the promotion of young people with disabilities into leadership roles. To this end, professionals and decision-makers are trained, local structures are strengthened, and people with disabilities are supported in rehabilitation, training and income-generating activities.
Vision
People with disabilities should be able to participate in the life of their communities on an equal footing and in a self-determined manner.