Galp and its Foundation formalized the renewal of support for the activities carried out under the company's corporate social responsibility in Mozambique by Helpo and the Makobo Platform, with the signing of two protocols. The ceremony took place at the facilities of the Portuguese Cultural Centre, in Maputo, on 23 November, with the presence of Andy Brown, CEO of Galp, Carlos Almeida, National Coordinator of Helpo, and Ruy Santos, Founder of the Makobo Platform. The signing of the protocols was witnessed, in addition to the leadership of Galp and partner organizations, by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Francisco André, and by the Portuguese Ambassador to Mozambique, António Costa Moura.
At the time, Andy Brown justified the renewal of the Galp Foundation's support to the two institutions with the meritorious work they have carried out in favour of the progress and well-being of the Mozambican population. A performance that materialises the company's commitment to contribute to the inclusive socioeconomic development of Mozambique, a country in which Galp has been operating for 64 years.
The protocol with the non-governmental organization Helpo concerns the renewal, for another three years, of the initiative “Educating for the Future”, implemented by Helpo with financial support from the Galp Foundation, through which it has been promoting the education of children and young people in São Tomé e Príncipe and Mozambique since 2019. For Carlos Almeida, Helpo Project Coordinator in Mozambique, this renewal of trust means “another commitment to the education of these young people. Galp's goal is not to paint young people's dreams in orange, but to fill the dreams of these young people with future prospects. Together, we will succeed.”
At the same time, Andy Brown formalized the renewal of Galp's support for Plataforma Makobo, the Mozambican solidarity association responsible for the “Cabo Delgado Heart Solidarity Mission” project with an epicentre in Pemba, where most of the families displaced by the insurgency in Cabo Delgado Province are located.
Acting on four fronts – raising products; food support for the most vulnerable of the displaced populations; initiatives to generate income for displaced and foster families; and promotion of the marketing of local products to boost the local economy and mitigate the impacts of population growth – the Makobo Platform will count on Galp’s collaboration for yet another year.
Ruy Santos, founder and director of Makobo, thanked the renewed trust, stating that “this support will allow us to go even further and support more families, because the challenges on the land are enormous and the numbers are increasing daily,” he said.
As host of the event, the Portuguese Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Francisco André, underlined the pride, on behalf of the Portuguese State, of witnessing the contribution of one of the largest Portuguese companies to the development of Mozambique, not only through daily operations in its sector of activity, but also through its altruism in favour of its sister country.