The disbursement was formalised by the signing on Wednesday, in the southern district of Boane, of financing contracts between the PIREP Implementation Unit, and managers of the 13 institutions.
The funding will cover professional education activities in Boane, Marracuene, Manhica and Xinavane (Maputo province), Chibuto and Manjacaze (Gaza), Machanga, Gorongosa, Buzi and Chibabava (Sofala), Mussoril and Murrupula (Nampula), Chiuta (Tete), Nicoadala (Zambezia) and Ngauma (Niassa).
Each of the 13 institutions will receive 25,000 dollars for projects meeting the training needs of people, and particularly women, who are not covered by the national education system in rural areas.
According to the director of the Executive Commission, Zeferino Martins, the 13 institutions were chosen out of 75 applications.
The projects are on a small scale, and will reach a total of rather more than 3,000 people.
Martins said the intention is to reach the rural population, in contrast to existing professional education, which is based on formal schooling concentrated in Maputo and the provincial capitals.
The beneficiary institutions have already been offering some training and rural extension programmes. With this injection of funds, said Martins, they would be able to diversity their courses, and offer training to more young people and women in the countryside.
The funding also includes money for consultancy costs, since many of the projects were drawn up with resort to consultants.
SOURCE: AIM
