All the work of the Foundation is carried out by our dynamic 2-person team, Jose Manuel and Veronica under the guidance and supervision of Angela who is based in the UK. As part of our sustainability strategy, we have trained members of the local community to provide training and support to local groups, such as the savings and credit groups and the mentors who lead discussions attended by the young girls participating in the girls’ empowerment meetings.
Angela is the founder and director of the Zalala Foundation. Between 1994-2006, she worked for ACORD, a pan-African NGO promoting peace and development in over 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Her main focus was on gender empowerment and tackling the stigma of HIV/AIDS. In 2008, she founded Zalala Beach Lodge, a community-based tourism venture in Zambezia Province aimed at supporting local livelihoods in this resource-starved region of Mozambique. From the outset, she worked to build close ties between the Lodge and the local communities. Lodge staff were locally recruited and trained on the job, women’s dance groups performed for guests, and local carpenters, masons and builders were used wherever possible in the construction and maintenance of the Lodge. Local livelihoods were also supported through a variety of community projects supported by the Lodge. With the fast developing scope and range of these projects, the need for a dedicated team and the establishment of a separate entity became clear. Over time, a community team has been set up and a legally constituted Foundation has been established with an ever expanding mandate. Angela is thrilled that her longstanding passion for women and girls’ empowerment is now taking shape and advancing in leaps and bounds in the local communities. From her base in the UK, Angela is in constant contact with both Veronica and Jose and helps to guide their work on the ground as well as striving to raise the profile of the Foundation and raise funds from various sources to enable the realisation of the team’s ambitious aspirations for improving the lives of local people.