Mozambican fellows arrive in Brazil

15/07/2011

Annually, Connect, with the support of OSISA (Open Society Institute for Southern Africa), organizes the Human Rights Fellowship Program for Lusophone Africa. In 2011, the organization receives four Mozambican human rights activists in Sao Paulo: Cosme Nyusi Crisanto (33), Ferosa Abel David Chaúque Zacarias (31), Katia Mussagy Sofia de Oliveira (28) and Anthony Junior Saite (28).

Over the next five months, the participants will take part in activities that include lectures at the Pontifical Catholic University of Sao Paulo (PUC-SP), training courses and internships in Conectas’ partners organizations, in order to work in the same human rights field that the fellows have already been working in their countries of origin. At the end of the fellowhip, they must present a project to be developed within their organizations in Mozambique during a period of 12 months.

The aim of the activities of the Fellowship Program is to strengthen the work of civil society in Lusophone African countries such as Mozambique, through practical training and academic activists.

Learn more about the fellows 2011 - 2012:

Mr. Cosme Crisanto Nyusi, 33, is a lawyer and works as a legal and technical supervisor at the Center for Legal Practice of the School of Law at Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM-FD-CPJ). The project he will develop during the program--to be implemented upon his return to Mozambique--will focus on offering legal assistance to economically disadvantaged citizens, and is entitled "Promoting Access to the Justice System for Prisoners in Situations of Violated Pre-trial Detention Rights".

Ms. Ferosa Abel David Chaúque Zacarias, 31, works as a lawyer of the Mozambican Association for Women in Legal Careers. She will develop a legal aid project, entitled "Advocating for Victims of Domestic Violence and Promoting Women's Human Rights."

Ms. Katia Sofia Mussagy de Oliveira, 28, works as a Counselor (Psychologist) offering support to victims of domestic and sexual violence for the organization Muleide (Association for Women, Law, and Development). Within the program she will develop a project to promote the human rights of people living with HI/AIDS, titled "Psychological Counseling for Victims of Domestic Violence and Childhood Sexual Abuse."

Mr. Saite António Junior, 28, is a junior researcher and the program manager of democratic governance and the social policy program of CEMO (Center for Mozambican and International Studies). His project will address the theme: "The situation of refugees and asylum seekers in Mozambique - a human rights based analysis."