The ceremony took place on 14 July 2020 at the Moztex garment factory, a project of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development, and was attended by Vitória Dias Diogo, the Secretary of State and coordinator of the response to Covid-19 for the province of Maputo, representing the Head of State of the Republic of Mozambique. The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Portuguese Government, Teresa Ribeiro, and the AKDN Diplomatic Representative to Mozambique, Nazim Ahmad, participated in the event through videoconference.

At the donation ceremony, Nazim Ahmad, said, “The factory, in addition to its usual production, has reorganised and reoriented its production in order to also be able to support the country in combating Covid-19, so the 100,000 masks offered today were made in this factory.” 

Nazim Ahmad also took the opportunity to affirm that it is his “conviction that this materialised effort between AKDN and its esteemed partners will have a mitigating impact in relation to Covid-19 in the Republic of Mozambique.”

Representing the Portuguese Government, Teresa Ribeiro said, “Portugal, from the very first hour, organised itself so that it could quickly outline an health plan that could contribute to our partner countries and Portuguese-speaking brothers could have some relief from their difficulties in combating the pandemic and that in order to reach all of you effectively, in the elaboration of this plan, they could count on the invaluable help and participation of AKDN that has been a partner that honours us greatly.” 

Teresa Ribeiro emphasised that the donation has an “equally important dimension, which is the fact that it was produced in Mozambique and by people from Mozambique, and this local component was important to us and we highly value it.”

On behalf of the government of Mozambique, Vitória Dias Diogo offered thanks for the timely, and concerted support.  She acknowledged the role of the Moztex factory in the donation, saying that it is “reinventing itself and adapting, producing and continuing to produce, showing vitality and bringing hope and answers to the challenges of the new coronavirus. This factory unit continues to operate in the manufacture of clothing for export, guaranteeing direct jobs, income, and livelihood for more than 600 workers, of whom 90% are women.” 

Vitória Dias Diogo said that “the masks will make much difference in the provincial strategy for mitigating the Covid-19 pandemic,” reiterating her thanks for the gesture of generosity and humanism provided by the Portuguese Government and AKDN.

The symbolic donation was made by the Portuguese Ambassador to Mozambique, Amélia Maio de Paiva, and by the Deputy to the AKDN Diplomatic Representative in Mozambique, Rui Carimo.

As part of this same partnership between the Portuguese government and the AKDN, 5,000 reusable masks will be donated to medical personnel and other health professionals as well as 100,000 surgical masks.

The joint effort will have the double benefit of making reusable masks freely available to all layers of society, providing them with greater protection from the pandemic.