In late August 2025, a Tzu Chi delegation, led by Vice President Pi-Yu Lin (林碧玉), embarked on a nearly three-week journey to four African nations: Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, and South Africa. Their first stop was Mozambique, a nation still recovering from the devastating impact of Cyclone Idai in 2019. The cyclone had swept away countless fragile mud and thatch homes, exacerbating the already challenging lives of many residents. Master Cheng Yen, the founder of Tzu Chi, envisioned a transformation for the people of Africa, extending beyond immediate relief and medical services to include the construction of Great Love Villages and twenty-three schools across Mozambique, rallying global support for this ambitious endeavor.

Empowering Communities Through Education and Health

As part of the ongoing reconstruction efforts, several schools and Great Love Villages have been steadily built. In 2023, four schools were officially handed over, followed by a ceremony on January 12, 2024, in Nhamatanda District at the Shelton Hotel, marking the handover of construction sites for thirteen more schools.

The delegation's visit in August and September 2025 aimed to inspect ten schools slated for handover on September 3, witness the inauguration of the Metuchira Health Center and Community Center in Sofala Province, and oversee the handover of 840 out of 2,067 planned homes in Guara-Guara Great Love Village.

"The key to transforming the lives of the suffering lies in education. Improving lives must start with education. With education, there is hope."
—Vice President Pi-Yu Lin, Tzu Chi Foundation

Vice President Lin also highlighted Tzu Chi's educational approach, which includes Jing Si Aphorisms and Master Cheng Yen's stories, character education, humanistic education, and life education promoting vegetarianism and filial piety. Environmental education, focusing on waste collection and service, is also a core component. Beyond educating children, a crucial aspect is training local teachers to learn alongside Tzu Chi, ensuring a sustainable transformation of education and an improved quality of life for Mozambicans.

On September 1, the delegation visited the Metuchira Great Love Village for the inauguration of its Health Center and Community Center, following inspections of the Nharuchonga Primary School, 12 October Primary School, and Metuchira Secondary School, all currently under construction. The event drew a gathering of local dignitaries, including the Governor of Sofala Province, Edmundo Rocha de Sousa e Lourenço, along with parliament members, community leaders, and religious figures. Governor Lourenço and Vice President Lin jointly cut the ribbon for the Health Center and unveiled the plaque for the Community Center, which then opened for public viewing.

The Community Center offers vocational training in sewing and computer skills, benefiting both residents and students. A cooking classroom also provides opportunities for volunteers to bake bread and cakes, which they affectionately named "Love." The agricultural classroom focuses on cultivating cash crops such as sesame, cashews, and moringa. Governor Lourenço expressed his gratitude for the delegation's visit, acknowledging the "love from thousands of kilometers away" brought to Sofala Province.

"Now we have schools, homes, a community center, and a health center, which have a significant impact on the district, the province, and even the entire country, bringing greater well-being to all citizens. With this new medical center, their lives will be completely transformed."
—Edmundo Rocha de Sousa e Lourenço, Governor of Sofala Province

Manuel Teixeira, Administrator of Nhamatanda District, sincerely thanked Tzu Chi and Governor Lourenço for enabling the realization of these dreams. "The satisfaction of the residents represents the voice of the people of the entire Nhamatanda District, which has been fully revealed," he said. Vice President Lin reiterated Tzu Chi's commitment to building four Great Love Villages with over three thousand homes and twenty-three schools, aiming to provide stable housing and better educational resources. She expressed hope for provincial policies that would jointly promote character education, fostering a hopeful Mozambique.

New Homes and a Brighter Future in Guara-Guara

The delegation then visited the Guara-Guara Great Love Village, a resettlement area formed by the merger of Masqui Village 1, Masqui Village 2, and Musokosa Area 3. This elevated area, with its significant drop to the river, is slated to become the new location for the Buzi District government. The region is rich in rice production, ensuring a stable livelihood for its residents. Recent highway renovation projects have also created employment opportunities, and numerous NGOs have established a presence, bringing closer access to civilian power resources.

Tzu Chi plans to build 2,067 homes in this village, with the first batch of 840 homes handed over on September 3. Rebeca Mabunda, a certified Tzu Chi volunteer who has served in the Great Love Village for an extended period, shared that she lives by Master Cheng Yen's teaching that love must be expressed through action, and she has never stopped sharing love and the Master's teachings, regardless of the weather. As the team arrived at another Great Love home around 6 PM, three to four hundred people had gathered in the sunset, their joyous shouts creating an atmosphere as lively as a campfire party.

Vice President Lin excitedly noted, "Around this time last year, the Guara-Guara area was still a wilderness. Now, some of the Great Love homes are complete. We hope everyone will keep their environment clean, help each other as neighbors, and collectively maintain the cleanliness of the surroundings." She conveyed Master Cheng Yen's hope that "Guara-Guara Great Love Village will be like a paradise on earth. Please cherish it, love each other, refrain from alcohol and smoking, practice vegetarianism, and protect the Earth." The villagers responded with cheers and promises.

Presidential Recognition for Transformative Aid

On September 3, the seventh day of the four-nation Africa visit, a historic moment unfolded in Mozambique. This day marked the handover of 840 homes in Guara-Guara Great Love Village and the official transfer of ten schools built by Tzu Chi in Sofala Province: Mozambique Industrial Primary School, 3 February Primary School, Muda Mufo Basic School, Lamedo Primary School and Lamego Secondary School, de Ndeja Primary School, de Kura Secondary School, de Metuchira Secondary School, 12 October Primary School, and Nharuchonga Primary School.

At 12:15 PM, President Daniel Francisco Chapo's special plane landed on an open field next to Muda Mufo Basic School, greeted by Vice President Lin to unveil a monument. The inscription on the monument notes that Muda Mufo Basic School was rebuilt as part of the national reconstruction plan after Cyclone Idai devastated Sofala Province in March 2019. It also highlighted this achievement as a model of cooperation between international civil society and the Mozambican nation, rebuilding a safe, dignified, and hopeful learning and growth environment for children. The reconstruction of Muda Mufo Basic School symbolizes not just the rebuilding of a structure, but the rekindling of hope, the strengthening of social bonds, and a renewed affirmation of education as a fundamental pillar for human, community, and national sustainable development.

Present at the ceremony were Governor Lourenço, community leaders, other distinguished guests, Vice President Lin and Deputy CEO Simon Shyong (熊士民), and Tzu Chi volunteers, including Denise Foi (蔡岱霖). Dino Foi, CEO of Tzu Chi Mozambique, delivered a speech expressing gratitude for Tzu Chi's dedication and efforts in the reconstruction project in Sofala Province.

"From today, thousands of children will benefit from high-quality educational infrastructure. Tzu Chi is responsible for building Mozambique's largest secondary school, and we have also seen a very professional construction team. By 2027, all projects will be completed. Special thanks to Vice President Lin, Tzu Chi's executives, and global volunteers for their commitment to rebuilding homes and schools."
—Dino Foi, CEO of Tzu Chi Mozambique

Dino Foi pledged to collaborate with all possible entities to promote climate change mitigation. He urged the Mozambican people to emulate Tzu Chi volunteers, doing everything out of love, without seeking repayment. "We are inherently a peace-loving people, full of love. Mozambique needs more teachers, engineers, doctors, journalists, economists, and talent for the entire government system, and all of this can only be achieved through education," he emphasized.

Tzu Chi delivered not just school walls, but also love. Dino Foi implored parents to educate their children about their responsibilities, ensuring they do not damage or steal anything from the schools.

"May it last for over a hundred years, because this school belongs not only to us but also to our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, for generations to come. Launching ten schools at once is proof that, in Mozambique, everything is still possible."
—Dino Foi, CEO of Tzu Chi Mozambique

President Daniel Francisco Chapo also extended his gratitude to Tzu Chi for delivering 840 new homes in Guara-Guara and ten new schools in Nhamatanda District. He noted that the homes are sturdy, with roofs designed to withstand strong winds, and equipped with rainwater harvesting systems to ensure water supply. The President thanked Tzu Chi Foundation for not only building houses but also building lives and futures, all "out of love, without seeking anything in return." Echoing Tzu Chi's philosophy, he concluded:

"Only with love can we build; violence only destroys."

Written by Mei-Ling Chang (張美齡), Wayne Wu (吳瑞祥)

Source: 援建大愛村與學校 莫三比克總統見證慈濟大愛