During their field trip in September 2022, the members of the Board of Trustees of the Zalala Foundation recommended that a Board of Trustees be established for the Mozambican counterpart organisation – the Fundacao Zalala. The functions and composition of the Board were discussed and it was agreed that the main function of the Board was to guide and support the work of the Fundacao in different ways. These include proving guidance and expertise, linkages and access to sources of funding for current and future projects.

This was discussed with the members of the staff team and in no time, they set about contacting a wide of individuals from the public, private and voluntary sectors. The 15-member Board, which had its first meeting in May 2023 includes community leaders, researchers, representatives of the education sector, the private sector, young people’s organisations and women’s organisations.

At the first meeting, the Fundacao staff presented the aims and current projects of the Fundacao and the new Board members shared their own backgrounds and interests. The second meeting focussed on the roles and functions and governance structure, as well as providing useful ideas and suggestions on sources of funding and project implementation.

We are looking forward to the ongoing contributions of this skilled and committed group of individuals on the months and years ahead.