ALY CAÍSSE: BUILT HIS OWN HOUSE AND NOW DREAMS OF BUILDING BRIDGES

Aly Caísse is 35 years old, lives in the community of Naossa, district of Lichinga, Niassa province, found in civil construction an opportunity to transform her life and build a future with hope.

After years of looking for a job opportunity, today the young bricklayer has an income and a new dream: to build great infrastructures and inspire other young people in his community.

Before getting this opportunity, Aly learned the trade from a bricklayer in his community. At that time, many young people faced difficulties due to a lack of guidance, job opportunities and learning spaces.

With the knowledge acquired, not yet professional, the young man was able to build his own house and several others for his clients in the community. 

However, it was through the REFLECT methodology, a participatory approach to learning and community organization that combines literacy, dialogue, critical analysis of reality and collective action, promoted within the framework of the Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) Project, that Aly and other young people participated in community sessions where they developed knowledge about social cohesion, responsibility, coexistence, support for families and the importance of work.

“At REFLECT we learned to take care of our families and to be hardworking. REFLECT helped us to choose the best paths. I must say that it is having a positive impact on the lives of many young people,” he said.

For Aly, these learnings were important to strengthen her ability to make positive decisions and look for alternatives to improve her life. 

The Job Fair, which took place on November 8, 2025, was the opportunity that several young people, including Aly Caísse, had to integrate the formal job market. The fair brought young people closer to companies and opened doors to new professional opportunities. The initiative had the involvement of the private sector, through the Confederation of Economic Associations (CTA).

“The fair they held created a desire for us to be with you and employ some young people. At the moment we employ 17 young people and we will still employ more. The young people are inserted in the areas of civil construction, hospitality and agriculture,” said Manuel Quimbine, Vice-President of CTA in Niassa.

Thanks to these opportunities, Aly was able to integrate into the job market and continue to develop his skills in construction. Employment, according to him, represents dignity, stability and the possibility of supporting his family.

Since he was integrated into the job market, Aly has consolidated his professional experience, where he participates in the construction of different infrastructures and improves his skills in the area of civil construction. With a stable income, he is able to contribute to the support of his family and continues to invest in his professional growth. 

His next goal is to specialize in larger works, to one day participate in the construction of buildings, roads and bridges, in order to become a reference for other young people in his community who are looking for an opportunity to grow in decent work.

“In the future I want to be a high-performance bricklayer to build warehouses, buildings and bridges,” he stressed.

For his part, the president of the Association of Contractors of Niassa, Afonso Silva, underlined the importance of creating positive paths for young people, especially in communities where there are challenges related to violence and economic exclusion.

“We know very well that young people are being recruited to get involved in crimes, both in Cabo Delgado and elsewhere. We fight so that this does not happen. Our effort is to show the right path for the next generation. We are fighting to show the way, the rest the young people complete alone”, defended Afonso Silva, President of the Association of Contractors of Niassa.

This initiative is part of the Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) project, implemented by ActionAid Mozambique (AAMoz), through the Northern Integrated Development Agency (ADIN), with funding from the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF).

It should be noted that the PVE project is being implemented in the provinces of Cabo Delgado, Niassa and Nampula until the end of 2026, by AAMoz, in partnership with the ASSANA Association, the NUNISA Foundation, the Christian Council of Mozambique (CCM Cabo Delgado and Niassa), the Kuendeleya Association and the Mozambique Activist Movement (MAM).