Mozambique: Montepuez Ruby Mining implements ‘Projecto Unidade’ to expand and strengthen community initiatives

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Mozambique: Montepuez Ruby Mining implements ‘Projecto Unidade’ to expand and strengthen community initiatives

6:43 CAT | 02 Jul 2025

Photo: Montepuez Ruby Mining

On 19 June 2025, Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM) launched “Projecto Unidade” [Unity Project], that aims to strengthen relations between MRM and the community, promote local development, provide employment opportunities and promote human rights.

This project is another community engagement strategy for MRM aimed at sustainable development by spreading awareness of the detrimental effects of illegal mining and promoting human rights in the communities surrounding the mine. The project is the result of a comprehensive consultation process that involved people from nine (9) communities.

As is the usual practice for MRM’s community oriented projects, under “Projecto Unidade,” each village defines its own needs and priorities, which are then transformed into their development agendas. These agendas are implemented by the Community Development Management Committees in consultation with the local government authorities and MRM funding. As a result, the community takes a more active and decisive role in determining its own development.

Recognizing that fostering community growth requires the involvement of multiple stakeholders, one of the main goals of “Projecto Unidade” is to strengthen cooperation between MRM, the Government, and civil society — essential partners in empowering local populations, as well as in the legalization and consolidation of existing community structures.

The project also aims to create more stable and safer jobs for residents of local communities, with direct benefits for their collective wellbeing. In this context, a pilot phase of the project was implemented in 2024 through MRM’s Corporate Responsibility and Protection Services, during which members of the Nsewe community were trained and hired to carry out security roles.

On 19 June 2025, an additional group of 20 young people from the communities of Namanhumbir, Nanhupo A, and Nanhupo B were hired under the same initiative.

In addition to their individual salaries, the hired members contribute to generating pooled income for their communities. These funds are managed by the Community Development Management Committees and are invested in initiatives that address the priority needs of the local population.

The Head of Corporate Responsibility at MRM, Zefanias Mawawa, said: “The Projecto Unidade” is not limited to job creation and community development. It is also a platform through which we seek to raise awareness among communities about the detrimental effects of illegal mining and promote human rights protection, in alignment with the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (“VPSHR”).”

In coordination with the Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM) and police authorities, MRM has been training local people in human rights — two from each community. These individuals are tasked with training others in their communities, equipping them with tools to identify and report human rights violations.

This project will also help to prevent and deter illegal mining, which destroys the social fabric of communities, results in loss of lives due to self-made pit collapses and deprives the country of much-needed tax revenue from Mozambique’s mineral resources

Source: Montepuez Ruby Mining / Media Release