Isilda and Cláudia are two young Mozambicans, 22 years old, graduated in the area of marine sciences, who dream of working in the area of research. They came to Portugal for 3 months, through the Girl MOVE Academy's CHANGE program, where they visited the CCMAR and had the opportunity to exchange experiences and meet some of our researchers. 

They started the visit by participating in a boat trip to Arrifana with the Fisheries, Biodiversity and Conservation group and researcher Adela Belackova. For Cláudia it was a very interesting day "it was a unique experience for me, I had never stayed so long in the middle of the sea and it was very good".

On October 25th, they went in the morning to visit the Ramalhete with the researchers Sofia Engrola and Rita Colen, where they helped to feed the fish and got to know our seahorse station and observe the reproduction of cuttlefish. An inspiring morning for Isilda who told us that she enjoyed the visit very much and that she was " willing to come to CCMAR to get my master's degree in aquaculture and fisheries. I was very happy to hear that there is a project, Biofish, where there is a partnership between Portugal and Mozambique."

In the afternoon, they visited some of the laboratories in our centre, such as the ECOREACH group, coordinated by the vice-president of UALG Alexandra Teodósio, and the MarBiotech group presented by the researcher Luísa Barreira.

Promoting the education, personal development and career of about 30 young Mozambican graduates is the aim of the Girl MOVE Academy, a Leadership Academy. Throughout the training year, each Girl Mover mentors 3 girls who are still university students, who together mentor 30 girls at risk who are in vulnerable conditions in neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city of Nampula, in northern Mozambique.