Mission
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To facilitate processes through which each person recognises, develops, and mobilises their skills, knowledge, and potential, promoting their autonomy and the sustainable well-being of families and communities.
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For NGUNI, human development is built from local capacities, knowledge, and systems, when people and communities are protagonists of their own processes of autonomy, dignity, and sustainable well-being.
Vision
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Mozambican communities living in peace and justice, enjoying economic, civic, and social equity, built by active citizens who recognise, develop, and mobilise their knowledge, skills, and potential in service of the common good.
NGUNI envisions a future where each person is a conscious and active agent of change, contributing to fairer, more united, and more resilient communities, and shaping their own destiny by recognising, developing, and mobilising their full potential.
Values
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​Creativity and Innovation
Responsibility and Integrity
Equity and Social Justice
Mozambican Identity
Objectivity and Effectiveness
Sustainability and Synergy
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​​Motto: CREMOS
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“Cremos,” in Portuguese, is a verb that carries two meanings at once: to believe and to trust.
We believe in ourselves and in our communities—where trust becomes transformation.
The Visual Identity
The Shield: part of the identity of the Nguni, and a symbol of protection, lies on the ground—not in war, but in active vigilance, ready to act whenever justice, dignity, and the common good so require.
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The Text: “The future is Today”, written by a child, the phrase highlights the centrality of children and young people in guiding our present.
Gold: is a symbol of the value and strength of our beliefs.
Black and White: represent pluralism, awareness, and the appreciation of Mozambique’s rich cultural diversity.
The Name: Inspired by the Nguni people and their cattle. Its name evokes a deep sense of African pride, determination, resilience and adaptability within the organisation.
Our Approach
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At NGUNI, we believe that lasting change begins with people’s own belief systems, values, and local knowledge — the foundations that shape how they live, decide, and relate to others.
Our role is not to replace or dismantle existing belief systems, but to engage with them constructively, enabling individuals and communities to reinterpret, strengthen, and transform their behaviours, practices, and capabilities from within.​
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Through this lens, empowerment is a process of restoring dignity, strengthening relationships, and nurturing the collective capacity to thrive.
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Why It Matters
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Across many Mozambican communities, deep-rooted structural and gender inequalities shape daily life, restricting access to social services and economic opportunities, and perpetuating cycles of vulnerability that undermine the well-being of women, girls, and families.
The Team
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NGUNI emerged from the experience and vision of a Mozambican team that played a leading role in the design and implementation of the Kuhluvuka Project of the Community Development Foundation (FDC), funded by USAID/Mozambique (2000–2010). This formative experience generated deep institutional learning and a guiding conviction that continues to shape NGUNI’s approach and work today.
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NGUNI is a women-led organization that intentionally centres women’s leadership, lived experience, and agency in the design and implementation of its programmes. At the same time, the organization works inclusively with men, families, and community systems, recognising their essential role in advancing social norm change and shared responsibility.
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NGUNI is led by Eduarda Pereira Cipriano, with Justina Santana Martins serving as Director of Finance and Operations. With permanent teams based in Matola and Maciene, the organization works to advance gender-equitable, sustainable, and locally rooted change.
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