A challenge in Africa!Mozambique

By: Wanessa FerreiraBusiness Administration Graduated26 years old – female

ARCADIS Logos - Brazil

A challenge in Africa

Expectation found

Baoba tree

International career

International career: a dream! An international Project has always been my dream and one of the biggest goals in my career.

I was working for 5 years in a multinational mining company when I received the invitation to join the ARCADIS team in Mozambique.

I accepted the invitation because ARCADIS is a big consultant corporation and is well positioned in the international consulting market. In addition, I decided to work in the African continent because it is a big challenge and Africa can be a new market for ARCADIS. I am graduated in Business Administration and I work in Quality Management. My challenge was to structure the Quality scope of our contract.

Before traveling to Mozambique I had complete information related to political instability, violence and diseases that I could face.

All these information were not confirmed after a few weeks in Nacala Project.

I found a beautiful country with friendly people and, if you compare some Brazilian indexes of violence, probably Nacala’s indexes are much smaller. So, comparing Brazilian and African conditions, the challenge is similar!

The Project consists of the construction of a Coal Port Terminal with capacity for 18 Mtpy (Million tones per year), with the possibility of future expansion to 26 Mtpy.

The implementation of a port for deep draft ships is an integral part of a Program Expansion of Vale Mozambique Moatize SA.

The Project is Nampula district located in the town of Nacala, northern Mozambique.

ARCADIS Logos was contracted by “Vale Mozambique Moatize SA” to management the implementation of this Project.

I was part of the Project Management Team, with approximately 120 people, composed by a Consortium, including the companies: ARCADIS Logos (Brazil), Consulgal (Portugal) and SECON (Mozambique).

Map of Mozambique

Project location

Our Contract and Vale ProjectA challenge in Africa

Local life: local language

The official language of Mozambique is Portuguese, but the Mozambican people speak more than 15 dialects. The local language in Nacala is “Emakhuwa”.

Although I believe that learning the local language is very interesting and an exercise of cultural integration, I had no opportunity to learn it.

In addition, the spoken Mozambican Portuguese is a little different from the Brazilian Portuguese. So, we need to be careful with some words that have a completely different meaning and may get us in embarrassing situations.

I confess that I did not really struggled to learn the Emakhuwa. The Mozambicans find funny when foreigners want to learn their language and they like to help.

Development Social team reunited with the local people

Local civilization

A challenge in Africa

A challenge in AfricaThe Nacala region is very poor. The minimum salary is USD 100 per month and this money is not enough for a family of 5 people. For example: a family needs 4 gallons with 20 liters of water per day for all household chores (drinking, cooking, washing). The amount spent per day with water is USD 2.5 and, considering 30 days, you can conclude that almost no money is left to buy food.

The region has a very large hydric deficit even for local and foreign people, and the sanitary conditions are very poor.

The options to buy food are very limited, most products are of low quality and do not follow the minimum standards of hygiene.

So, in the local context, the people working to our Project are considered rich people.

Local people carrying water

Local market Local house

Local life

A challenge in Africa

Another point that is worth to remark, concerning to health requirements, specially to foreigners coming to the country, is the prevention with the "Malaria".

For the local population, malaria is already a "common" aspect. We can say that malaria is part of the coexisting environment, since it is the second largest health topic reported after HIV / AIDS.

Sharing the same house with colleagues, I had the opportunity to mingle with people of different nationalities. Among them, I highlight a co-worker, whose nationality is also Brazilian. She had contracted malaria 3 times, so I can consider myself lucky girl for having contracted malaria only 1 single time.

Among other cases, survive at this site is not very easy.

There are few leisure options in Nacala for local and foreign people. What is usually done in this context is meeting with friends, go to the beaches and organize small parties.

Local house: the kitchen

Local beach

Local life

A challenge in Africa

Interact and engage with people having different original ideas was very rewarding.

Among them, I had the opportunity to interact with one of the colleagues who will participate in the Global Shapers on October 2013, Angelo Zerbini, having also collaborated in the development of his idea for the contest.

Very good!

Angelo Zerbini and I: talking about Global Shapers

Inspection work onHappy hour to integrate all team

Local life

A challenge in Africa

My perspective of permanence in Mozambique would be for 3 years - the total duration of the Project. Due to some uncertainties I had to interrupt my stay and remained just for 1 year.

There are religions having food taboos, such as: pork - forbidden for Muslims. The Indian influence is also very strong on menus in Mozambique and such food is a challenge to be faced. The hygiene of the food is not a strong point in the region, thus the cases of cholera and diarrhea are sprawling in the communities.

Food was my biggest challenge. I learned that dealing with some kinds of food was not easy, specially when I discovered that I suffer of "lactose intolerance“.

Foreigners in Mozambique travel a lot.The natural beauties are big news, the former Portuguese colony mixes with the beaches and the wildlife.

Mozambique is a paradise. A fantastic country where vast diverse landscape offers endless options for destinations where you can combine sun, beach, nature, adventure, exoticism and more.

Local beach

Local Child

Natural Beauties

Cultural differences and adaptation

With a tropical climate, temperatures are an invitation to enjoythe quiet beaches. But also characterized Mozambique the islands with their unique character and shrouded in mystery.

It has archipelagos that offers a unique spectacle of dunes on a sea that varies between the turquoise and emerald green.

Culturally, Mozambique has always made a pole marked in Africa in terms of architecture, painting, music, literature and poetry, without forgetting the craftsmanship that delights lovers of African art.

Overcoming homesickness and cultural differences was undoubtedly challenging in my life.

Learning another language, gain the experience of another culture, meet new people and landscapes and still be able to enhance my professional career, this has been my most satisfying and worth living.

I can only thank ARCADIS Logos for the invitation and opportunity offered.

I would do it all again in a different conditions!

A challenge in Africa

LearningLocal beach

Local landscape

Natural Beauties