Over 65 per cent of the country's people live in absolute poverty and, thanks to destruction of the country's infrastructure, half of all school-age children are not in school. But the strong female role model is particularly crucial for girls. In many communities, girls receive less health care, education and opportunities than boys do. At the same time, they are expected to take on a much greater domestic workload. Their missed chances are most evident in Mozambique's schools, where girls drop out in high numbers and by sixth grade are outnumbered by boys nearly two to one.
Many girls never get the chance to attend school at all.
Fortunately, a neighbour told her about the literacy centre run by nuns in her neighbourhood, which she attends for a nominal fee. The family has no furniture, pictures, or ornaments. Lacking electricity or running water, they cook and bathe outside. At around 2 p.m. each day, they eat their sole meal, consisting of sweet potatoes and cabbage. She says she has stopped working as a prostitute, but she bites her nails nervously when the subject of school comes up.