The cotton sector also provides direct employment to about 10,000 people, which in turn lends support to more than 200,000 families involved in the sector. To deal with and improve cotton production, an association of cotton producers is to be created in the near future. Henriques also said that the aims of the association would be to promote cotton production and to establish a dialogue and negotiation platform with government, to form a joint strategy for developing the cotton sector. Around twenty young girls, average age 10 years, who used to live on the streets of Maputo, now have a night shelter. During the day, the girls are given the opportunity to attend an educational programme geared towards preparing them for integration in formal schools.
Nothing is forced, they come here when they want.
Girls living the street life in Mozambique are a new phenomenon. There are hundreds of boys living on the street, especially in the larger cities, guarding or washing cars, doing odd jobs like carrying goods for shoppers, often earning only enough for a sandwich, and often, therefore, turning to begging or picking pockets in order to survive. Living this life leads many street kids to drugs and alcohol. The debate was organized by Radio Mozambique, the national public radio. The provinces of Manica and Tete are those most affected by the HIV virus in Mozambique.