In a country with so many inequalities and where life for the disabled people remains a hard struggle, all contributions towards strengthening the rightful place of the underpriviledged in their communities represents a step towards a more just society. And not only – even the smallest of contributions can be crucial in making the lives of those concerned less dark and in offering life-changing experiences of achievement and fulfilment. It is in this context that ADPP Mozambique began training visually impaired teachers at its Teacher Training College in Nhamatanda, Sofala Province, in 1999. Today, altogether 48 visually impaired teachers have graduated from the College. The studies of 11 of them were made possible by the generous support received from the Light of the World, an NGO committed to improving the quality of life of visually impaired people around the world.

1. Visually Impaired Teachers
Graduates from the ADPP Teacher Training College of
Nhamatanda
CASE STORIES

2. BACKGROUND
In a country with so many inequalities and where life for the disabled people remains a hard struggle, all
contributions towards strengthening the rightful place of the underpriviledged in their communities
represents a step towards a more just society. And not only – even the smallest of contributions can be
crucial in making the lives of those concerned less dark and in offering life-changing experiences of
achievement and fulfilment.
It is in this context that ADPP Mozambique began training visually impaired teachers at its Teacher Training
College in Nhamatanda, Sofala Province, in 1999. Today, altogether 48 visually impaired teachers have
graduated from the College. The studies of 11 of them were made possible by the generous support
received from the Light of the World, an NGO committed to improving the quality of life of visually impaired
people around the world.
PURPOSE
As the following case stories show, disabled people – and in this case, visually impaired teachers – can be
active, productive and self-sustainable members of the society they live in. The training they have received
has given them an opportunity to contribute to the education of the new generation of Mozambicans and
offered them a wealth of reasons to be proud of their achievements.
CROSSCUTTING EFFECTS
Working with a high level of professionalism, passion and dedication and being able to show the results of
one’s work – these are some of the building blocks for growing respect towards disabled people in any
given society. Seeing children learn during the lessons given by visually impaired teachers, having fellow
teachers taking an active role in integrating visually impaired teachers in the school community, and having
the community look up to them as respectable members of the society – all this contributes, in a significant
way, to the maturing of attitudes towards disabled people and to strengthening the respect for all minorities
in general.
RESULTS
The visually impaired people featured in this document have been successful in improving the quality of their
life and strengthening their sense of dignity, their self-esteem and hope in a brighter world. They have also
managed to be productive, independent and active members of society even in one of the most
underprivileged regions of the world.
TO OUR PARTNER
These case stories have been collected in 2014 by interviewing some of graduates from the ADPP
Teacher Training College in Nhamatanda, Sofala Province. The training has been offered to visually
impaired students since 1999.

3. RAUL JOSÉ SITOE
Raul José Sitoe is a 41-year-old visually impaired
English teacher and a father of 3 children working at
the Primary School of Inhamizua in Beira, central
Mozambique. He is also a remarkable person who
has managed to overcome the limits of his handicap
and achieve complete inclusion at his workplace. “A
good teacher” is how his colleagues describe him.
Who has had the priviledge of attending his classes
understands why.
In this line of work since 2004, Raúl believes that
there is no real difference between him and the
teachers who can see. He plans each lesson
carefully, studying the contents of the pages he will
cover during his class in detail with the support of a
seeing colleague. This allows him to organize his
lessons according to text books and explain their
content in vivid detail to the students in the
classroom. “I have high standards in my relation with
the students,” Raúl explains. “The first impressions
create high expectations. I seek to maintain or exceed
these expectations every day.”
Raúl received his teacher training at the ADPP
Teacher Training College (TTC) of Nhamatanda after
graduating from the Pedagogical University in History.
The biggest challenge during his training period was
related to the lack of training material in Braille. This
didn’t prevent him from keeping pace with his
colleagues and learning from fellow students with
normal eyesight, however. “All in all, studying at the
TTC brought an amazing improvement in my life,” he
affirms.
Raúl shares episodes of his early years at work with
enthusiasm, mentioning also the doubts that some
colleagues had about his professional performance in
the beginning. Some of them attended his classes
without him realizing it, peaking through the
classroom windows while he was teaching. One day
the Headmaster called him to his office and, to his
surprise, told him: “Raúl, you are one of the best
teachers in the school and the one I’m most proud to
work with!” The Headmaster went on to explain that,
he too, had seen Raúl’s class through the window and
was very pleased with what he saw.
The episode took place over 10 years ago, but
continues to be an important source of joy and
happiness for the "Good Teacher". It also clearly
illustrates that his visual condition does not limit his
dreams.
Age: 41 years
Years as teacher: 10 years
Living in: Inhamizua, Beira
Team 2000

4. In the heart of Beira, the second largest city in
Mozambique, lives the very first blind teacher of the
country. Júlio Tecateca, 45 years, works today as a
teacher at the Institute for Visually Impaired People in
the same city. This humble man has fought great
battles and reached greater achievements. Maybe that
is why he is known as "The Great Tecateca".
“I lost my eyesight at the age of 7. It all started with a
simple pain in the eye, followed by an eye
inflammation. Before I knew it, I was completely
blind,” he begins his story.
Júlio Tecateca was part of the first team piloting the
training of visually impaired teachers at the ADPP
Teacher Training College of Nhamatanda in 1999. Being
the first blind person to graduate as a teacher in
Mozambique, he is an important reference in the whole
country and a clear success story in his own right.
There were major difficulties along Júlio Tecateca’s
way to graduation, however. One of them was that the
physical surroundings of the training center were not
prepared for visually impaired people. “It was
challenging to have access to places and to find water
for bathing, for instance,” he explains. “It was also
difficult to carry out some of the schoolwork by
myself.” The hardships were aggravated by Tecateca’s
colleagues’ lack of skills in living together and working
with blind people. Most of the challenges were
overcome in the course of time, however – mainly
thanks to the help of committed colleagues who
provided him care and support throughout his studies,
helping him thus to finish his course with success.
As a teacher, Júlio Tecateca has perfectioned his
methods along his career as he has gained more
experience: “The methodologies I use to teach classes
are group work, independent work and participative
exercises,” he explains.
“I can say that I have been successful in my teaching:
all my pupils know how to read and write without any
problems. I have also developed good relations with
colleagues, students and the school community in
general.”
The biggest difficulties Tecateca faces in his daily work
today are related to the lack of materials for blind
people, such as typewriters and books in Braille. This
type of material would facilitate his work as a teacher
and the learning of blind students in a significant way.
Tecateca says that he is grateful to all who provide him
support and help him carry out his work in the best
manner possible. “I am thankful to my students
because they help me with the writing on the
blackboard. I also owe thanks to my colleagues who
help in planning the lessons and the school board who
is there for me whenever necessary. The children’s
parents are active in contributing to the children’s
learning process as well.”
A special thanks goes to the ADPP Teacher Training
College, however. Completing the training course has
had a decisive role in Tecateca’s life, enabling him to
reach various goals, both on a personal and a
professional level: it has allowed him to reach financial
independence, to construct a house, to complete a
university degree in Educational Psychology, and to
have a career as a teacher. Without it, he would have
not been accepted into higher education. Without it, he
would have not been elected provincial delegate of the
Mozambican Association for the Blind and Partially
Sighted (ACAMO). It has also been crucial for his social
life: without it he would have not established the many
friendships he today enjoys both at work and in his free
time.
“I call for more support and training opportunities for
handicapped people,” pleads Tecateca. “We all have a
right to contribute in the development of our
communities and the country in general.”
JÚLIO TECATECA
Age: 45 years
Years as teacher: 12
Living in: Beira, Sofala
Team 1999

5. MÁRIO ARMANDO
Mário Armando is a 38-year old visually impaired
Portuguese teacher from the Josina Machel Primary
School in Dondo District, Sofala Province. Married,
father of 4 children, and on the job since 2004, he is
also a person who has not let his visual condition
dominate his life. Quite the contrary: he has made
overcoming doubts and complexes and reaching
recognition as a teacher a positive challenge and his
personal life goal.
Mário Armando is convinced that one of the keys to
performing well as a blind teacher is the thorough
preparation done prior to lessons. In his opinion, “a
visually impaired teacher has to be strong enough,
skilled enough and brave enough. When you have
this condition, people often doubt your abilities and
put you to test. One should not be hurt easily.” All
challenges can be overcome, believes Mário. “What
one needs is strong commitment and a willingness
to learn from others.”
Like most successful people, Mário has also gone
through some hard times. He belonged to the first
team of students with visual impairments trained at
the ADPP Teacher Training College of Nhamatanda,
but saw his ambitions soon frustrated by the lack of
money – leading him to not being able to even offer
himself decent clothes at times. Eventually, Mário
had to quit. He never gave up on his dream,
however. Like a good fighter, he only took one step
back to soon take two forward again: in 2002, Mário
returned to the College, this time well prepared and
extremely motivated – and graduated with success
at the end of the same year.
The biggest test came after graduating, however:
Mário had to prove his skills to other people and
make them accustomed with the idea that a visually
impaired person can practice the teaching
profession.
"It was very difficult for me to integrate in the
beginning. I had no support from anyone – everyone
doubted my abilities. Even the people from the
community came to watch my classes: they wanted
to see how I behaved towards the students in the
classroom,” Mário explains. “I had to be very strong
to endure that sort of pressure.”
“Nowadays I no longer need to prove anything,”
Mário adds with pride in his voice. This is evidenced
by the various favorable comments about the teacher
made by his colleagues and students – and even the
members of the community who first doubted him.
Today with a degree in teaching Philosophy from the
Pedagogical University, Mário Armando believes that
the training he received at the ADPP Teacher
Training College was crucial in opening the doors to
him. Even the relatives who earlier discriminated him
because of his visual condition, now give him
support.
Age: 38 years
Years as teacher: 10
Living in: Dondo, Sofala
Team 2002

6. Rui Madeira is a 37-year old teacher with a degree in
School Psychology from the Pedagogical University
of Mozambique and with a feature that distinguishes
him from the overwhelming majority of his
colleagues: he is blind. When he was in 4th
grade, he
fell ill with measles and lost part of his vision as a
consequence.
Rui’s professional career is fraught with challenges,
but also with voices of trust and support from his
colleagues at the 25 de Setembro High School in
Chiveve, Beira. This is where Rui teaches the 6th
and
7th
grades in Portuguese, Social Sciences, Musical
Education and Moral and Civic Education. These
subjects fit well Rui’s disability: they allow him not
to write on the blackboard, contrary to the lower
grades. “My way of working is by using active
teaching methods such teamwork, study excursions
and other participative techniques,” he explains.
“This is a way to create active collaboration
between the students, which in turn enhances their
academic performance. This is to compensate for
my difficulties in collecting contents for the lessons:
I don’t have access to books and other materials in
Braille to facilitate my work.”
During a quick chat, in the shade of a cashew tree,
Rui retraces the main lines of his gripping life story
from the great difficulties in the beginning to
regaining his almost lost sense of dignity,
deteriorated over time by his visual condition and
the way people treated him because of it. Because
of his blindness, Rui was discriminated even by his
family. “The teacher training at the ADPP Teacher
Training College in Nhamatanda saved my self-
esteem,” Rui states.
“Before starting to work, some of the well-to-do
members of my family did not speak to me, even in
family gatherings, discriminating me simply for not
being like them, a person with normal vision. But
since I started working as a teacher, things
changed,” Rui explains, visibly moved by his own
words.
Rui’s period of teacher training (2005-7) was
anchored by good relations with colleagues, most of
them with normal eyesight, who helped him solve
the tasks he was required to do as a student. They
explained him the exercises and described the
materials, and he then solved them using Braille.
According to him, he graduated without major
difficulties.
Rui’s first professional experience in 2007 was to be
member of an Enrollment Committee. His task was
to check how many students had enrolled and how
many had not. According to him, this was a unique
experience. A group of colleagues motivated him to
bring his Braille machine to type with. Rui confesses
that the way his colleagues had immediately
accepted his visual condition gave him great
motiation to work when the school year began.
In the course of his 7 years of activity, Rui has
assumed more and more responsibilities and is
today member of a monitoring and evaluation group
of children with special educational needs. In this
task, he has been accompanied by a person with
normal eyesight who helps describing the set of
deficiencies and special needs identified in students.
The active participation of the children’s parents has
also been key in performing this task.
RUI JOÃO MADEIRA Age: 37 years
Years as teacher: 8
Living in: BeiraTeam 2002

7. Victor Tembo is a 42-year old TTC Nhamatanda
graduate and today a primary school teacher working
at the Eduardo Mondlane Primary School in Dondo
District, Sofala. Completely blind, he lost his sight
after contracting measles when he was 7 years old.
Victor teaches Social Sciences and Moral & Civic
Education to 6th
and 7th
grades, with 50 students per
class. According to him, a person’s visual condition is
not and should not be considered a limitation but a
challenge for integration.
Victor started working as a teacher in 2005. “It was
not easy to convince the School Board that I can
teach children with normal vision,” he explains. His
colleagues were convinced that a visually impaired
teacher could only teach visually impaired children. It
was only after lengthy explanations and consultations
at schools that had accepted teachers with visual
impairments that the Board finally decided to allow
Victor teach eleven classes. Even so, doubts about
his capacities persisted, leading to Victor being a
target of frequent unexpected audiences in his
classes. The initial curiosity faded with time,
however, and today Victor is visibly pleased with the
way he has managed to gain the trust of his
colleagues.
In his day-to-day work as a teacher, Victor uses
various participative methodologies in carrying out his
lessons and makes the best possible use of the
existing materials he finds in the school. “My
greatest difficulty is in collecting contents for the
lesson,” he laments. “It is thanks to these
participative methods and to the good collaboration
with the teachers, the students themselves and the
School Board that I have been successful in ensuring
that my students perform well: my colleagues assist
me with the quarterly planning and the choice of the
teaching materials and my students help me with
timetables and in transcribing the subjects on the
blackboard. The community has also contributed in
facilitating my work.”
What most delights Victor in his work is sharing his
knowledge with his students and, at times, with the
community members. The latter often find these
situations quite extraordinary: many of them think
that being blind means being incapable. “I’m happy
to prove that even though this disability doesn’t allow
me to see pictures, I can do many other tasks just as
any person with a normal vision – and sometimes
even better!" he smiles, only to soon change his
tone: “The reality is often not that rosy, though.
Visually impaired people face many difficulties when
they want to enter the labour market.”
It is also in this sense that the training at the TTC
Nhamatanda was an exception: the training was
preceded by an adjustment period, during which
Victor and the other visually impaired colleagues
were introduced to the physical environment of the
College and offered a chance to adapt to the teaching
methods in use.
“A special thanks goes to my students and
colleagues for their understanding and the support
they have always provided unconditionally,” Victor
concludes. “Their support has strengthened my
dedication as a teacher and motivated me in doing
my best in conveying my knowledge.”
VICTOR TEMBO
Age: 42 years
Years as teacher: 9
Living in: Dondo, Sofala
Team 2002

8. DANIEL MEIDE MAGUMBA
I answer by the name of Daniel Meide Magumba. I’m single and have been a primary teacher for the last 4
years. I started to lose my vision when already an adult, but I can still see a little bit. I teach PE to the 6th
and
7th
grades and I can also teach Moral and Civic Education, Natural Sciences and Crafts if I have an assistant in
the class.
During my lessons, I use various methods and educational materials provided by the school. I especially enjoy
teaching PE – and apparently the students enjoy my classes as well: they always attend them in masses. The
major difficulties are mostly related to the preparation and execution of some of the exercises. Then again, my
relationship with the school community is very good: the students support me a lot and there is an
atmosphere of mutual aid among the teachers as what comes to lesson planning and guidance on what is
required to run the classes.
I think that in order to ensure a good coexistence, especially in a case like mine where the teacher has a
handicap, the whole school community should have an atmosphere of mutual respect. The students should
avoid laughing and whispering about the disability of the teacher and the school directors and colleagues
should not underestimate the capabilities of the disabled teacher. I must mention that this is not my case. I
have been lucky in this sense: the whole community has contributed a lot in towards me being able to fulfill
my duties.
I am proud to be a teacher: I can sustain myself and help my family. I have a good relationship with my
colleagues and everyone else around me. I talk to and exchange experiences with many people in my line of
work. On a professional level, I feel that I have accomplished a lot because I have reached my dream to be a
qualified teacher.
This said, I would strongly recommend increasing and encouraging inclusive education, especially for the
disabled. Disabled people need to be given special attention during the teaching and learning process and the
appropriate mechanisms for their support and follow-up should be in place in every school.
OTHER STORIES
Age: 29 years
Years as teacher: 4
Living in: Marromeu, Sofala

9. FRANCISCO ZUCA
I work at the Institute for Visually Impaired People in Beira and am also a part-time teacher of Moral and Civic
Education for a 3rd
grade class with 9 students.
Having the possibility of studying at the ADPP Teacher Training College in Nhamatanda made me become a
different man: a man respected in the family and in the community and a person who is socially and financially
independent. I am now part of the productive world – not a burden to others. I feel that I have accomplished
many things, achieved a high level of professionalism, and been rewarded by the results of my work.
Of course, not everything is perfect. Among the major difficulties faced by disabled teachers in their day-to-
day work is checking the presence of the students in class, writing down the summary of the class in the
class book, and monitoring the attention of the students during the lessons.
In my opinion, disabled teachers should teach classes from the 3rd
grade up, and preferably subjects such as
Portuguese or Moral and Civic Education. These students already know how to read and write which
facilitates a lot the teacher’s work. I think we should also be expect the school community to respect the
individual teacher, despite his disabilities, and to provide assistance whenever necessary so that he may
perform his functions the best possible way.
I would recommend that ADPP Teacher Training Colleges continue training disabled people because it is
through education that disabled people gain their own lawful space in the labor market and are given the
opportunity to offer their important contribution to society.
Age: 51 years
Years as teacher:
Living in: Beira, Sofala

10. CASTIGO SEBASTIÃO JONE
My name is Castigo Sebastião Jones, and even though my first name in
Portuguese means “punishment”, I don’t consider my condition as a
punishment for anything. I was one year old when I fell sick with
measles and conjunctivitis. I have been partly blind ever since.
I am now 30 years old and have been a teacher for the last 4 years in the district of Caia, Sofala Province, where
I teach Social Sciences for the 6th
grades. I would also like to teach Portuguese, Moral and Civic Education and
English to the grades 8-10 as they would be more appropriate for my visual condition: teaching Natural Sciences,
for instance, can be problematic as it includes so many images that one should show and explain.
I use various teaching methods in my classes to ensure that my pupils learn well despite of my condition.
Among them is group work and field practice together with an active use of various didactic materials and tools.
I believe that the School Board and the Teacher’s Council have a key role in maintaining harmony and good
working relations between a disabled teacher and the rest of the school community: they should set an example
of respect and mutual help. Not laughing at the difficulties a blind person; making sure that the children respect
the teacher and do not sneak-out of the classroom; and – most importantly –, taking into consideration that a
disabled teacher has certain limits to his or her performance and that the assignments should be designed
according to the type of disability he or she has – these are all examples of the kind of respect I am talking about.
For instance, one of the biggest difficulties I face in my work is the quarterly and bi-weekly planning process,
since some of my colleagues still do not respect the limits of a visually impaired teacher.
One day I received a visit from the Sofala Provincial Education Authorities in my classroom. I remember how the
active participation of the children in my class left them speechless. They were surprised to see how well the
children were learning from a disabled teacher.
I must add that the school community has been active in facilitating my work whenever possible: the students
respect the timetable and the other teachers help in producing teaching materials and give ideas when the
transmission of teaching contents is harder.
Being able to complete my teacher-training course has meant a lot to me. I am now economically independent
and can support my family. I own my own house and am socially respected in my community. My good relations
with those around me have even led me to be chosen to mediate conflicts in the community. Most importantly,
however, I now have a profession I’m proud of and can contribute to building the future of my country.
I therefore hope and wish that these projects of Inclusive Education continue and flourish so that more and more
visually impaired people in Mozambique are able to benefit from a professional training, thereby becoming
independent and productive members of their communities.
Age: 30 years
Years as teacher: 4
Living in: Caia, Sofala

11. CARLOS JOAQUIM NOGUEIRA
My name is Carlos Joaquim Nogueira, but everybody calls me Carlitos, a
name I answer to since I got blind at the age of 5. Back then, living in Buzi
District, Sofala Province, I was happy and innocent until one day I got sick
with measles and a strong eye pain. The medicine I received was not applied correctly and finally left me
completely blind. Life became very difficult. I felt discriminated and going to school and to study became really
hard.
In 2005, I was offered an opportunity to study at the ADPP Teacher Training College of Nhamatanda. I
graduated the same year with success. I have built a career in teaching ever since. Today, 9 years later, I
teach Portuguese, Social Sciences and Moral and Civic Education for the 6th
and 7th
grades at the 12 de
Outubro Primary School in the village of Metuchira, Nhamatanda District.
I’m proud of what I have achieved. I participate actively in the development of my community and, I believe, of
the country in general. I am a bright teacher and I have developed good relations with the people around me,
on both professional and social levels. Working as a teacher has enabled me to gain economic independence,
to ensure a stable income and to acquire material goods and provide support for my family. I am single and
devote my life to the children I teach.
The biggest difficulty that I face in my teaching practice is the lack of manuals in Braille and other special
equipment for blind people. Luckily, I have managed to establish a wonderful relationship with my colleagues
and the whole school community: the children help me locate the classrooms, alert me about the schedules
and write on the blackboard when needed. In addition, my colleagues help me in the quarterly and bi-weekly
planning and in the choice of teaching materials for my classes. I must say that the School Board has been
extremely helpful in this sense: it has been crucial in mobilizing the other teachers and the whole school
community to help and support me.
I think it is extremely important to continue supporting people with disabilities. The support is especially
needed in the areas of inclusive education and professional training as well as in producing adequate material
and the equipment disabled people need for living a fulfilling life.
Age: 37 years
Years as teacher: 9
Living in: Nhamatanda, Sofala