Sasol’s Women’s Forum in Mozambique held a reading promotion initiative on 3 November at the Adolescent and Youth Friendly Services (SAAJ) centre in the town of Inhassoro, Inhambane province, distributing books to approximately 20 adolescents and young people. The activity forms part of a broader effort to promote education and personal development in communities near the company’s operations.

According to a press release sent to Diário Económico, the initiative returned to the same location more than three years after its first edition and reached participants aged between 10 and 20. The books were purchased using contributions from members of the Women’s Forum and other Sasol employees, with the aim of fostering a love of reading, broadening horizons, and encouraging young people to pursue their goals.

During the event, Sasol’s Vice-President of Operations and Maintenance, Francisco Augusto, urged participants to value education and persist in realising their aspirations, highlighting knowledge as an essential tool for facing future challenges.

One of the beneficiaries, Uilma Caunda, underscored the significance of the gift for her development and expressed her intention to continue her studies. “This book represents an opportunity to learn more, improve my knowledge, and believe that I can achieve my dreams. I thank Sasol’s Women’s Forum for remembering us and for encouraging us to keep studying. Next year, I will return to university,” she said.

The importance of perseverance was also highlighted by Nilsa Como, a Process Artisan at Sasol, who shared her experience of joining the company after four unsuccessful applications. “I applied to Sasol four times and did not succeed. On the fifth attempt, I was finally selected. My story shows that it is possible to achieve our goals, even when the path is not easy,” she said, encouraging young people to persist in the face of adversity.

Stélio Gabriel, representing the director of the Health and Social Action Services of Inhassoro, thanked Sasol, and the Women’s Forum in particular, for the support provided to the adolescents and young people who attend the SAAJ centre, stating that “initiatives of this nature contribute to the development of adolescents and young people.”

The activity was part of Sasol’s corporate social responsibility programme, through which the Women’s Forum seeks to promote access to education and knowledge, contributing to the personal development of young people in communities close to the company’s operations.