Finding Her Feet Again: Sara’s Road to Recovery in Cabo Delgado

Metuge, Cabo Delgado - In a quiet rural village in Metuge district, in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, 11-year-old Sara sits quietly in the shade beside her aunt’s thatched house. She helps prepare a meal of moringa leaves while her cousins and neighbourhood children laugh and play nearby, their voices rising above the tall maize plants that mark the edge of their small plot of land.

It’s a scene of safety and belonging, a stark contrast to the fear Sara endured just months earlier.

In 2024, a non-state armed group attacked her community in Mecufi district and abducted her from her home. Although she managed to escape by fleeing through the forest the next day, the trauma stayed with her.

“I escaped by running through the forest,” Sara says. “When I came back, I had bad dreams and couldn’t sleep.”

Fearing for her daughter’s safety and wellbeing, Sara’s mother sent her to live with her aunt, 30-year-old Paula, in Metuge.

"We were so happy to see her again," Paula said, expressing the family's relief. "I'm glad she returned unharmed."

Despite this warm reception, Sara remained withdrawn and fearful, avoiding other children and refusing to return to school.

With support from UNICEF and its partner AVSI, things slowly began to change. Psychosocial counsellors started visiting Sara at home, engaging her in conversation and games. Gradually, she began to open up. Her aunt encouraged her to make new friends in the community.

“She’s not scared anymore,” says Paula. “Now she smiles, plays, and feels free here.”

“I feel safe and at home,” Sara adds.

Sara also joined a three-month remedial learning programme run by AVSI and supported by UNICEF. She received a school uniform, bag, notebooks, and pens, and began catching up on the lessons she had missed, from learning the alphabet to counting.

In January, she re-enrolled in Grade 2.

“I like going to school and seeing my friends,” she says. “I’m learning to read and write. My favourite subject is Portuguese.”

Sara is also dreaming of the future once more.

“When I grow up, I want to be a teacher so I can play with the children at school.”

UNICEF, together with its implementing partner AVSI, is supporting children affected by armed conflict with psychosocial services and school reintegration, thanks to the generous support of the Government of Germany.

Note: Names have been changed to protect the identities of the people in this story.