In Pemba, where Sant’Egidio is engaged in assisting displaced people from areas affected by terrorism, the Cardinal met with members of the Community and listened to accounts of the work of support and integration that Sant’Egidio carries out in northern Mozambique with thousands of people.

In Maputo, he visited Sant’Egidio’s large DREAM Centre in the Zimpeto area, which Pope Francis visited six years ago. This health centre is an important facility not only for the capital but for the entire country, reaching thousands of patients also thanks to the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the “Otto per Mille” fund of the Italian Catholic Church.

The Cardinal was welcomed by children from the Matola kindergarten, by activists from the DREAM Programme and by members of Sant’Egidio in Maputo. He then visited the various services offered at the health centre and spent time with a group of HIV-positive mothers who, thanks to DREAM, have given birth to healthy children.
During his visit to the molecular biology laboratory, he praised the advanced technology and the high level of staff training, and he met a group of adolescents attending the sewing school as well as the telemedicine services. Nelson Moda, on behalf of Sant’Egidio, delivered a message of thanks.

After recalling Pope Francis’ visit in 2019, the Cardinal expressed his joy at having been able to deepen his knowledge of the Community’s work in Africa and concluded the visit with a prayer and a blessing for all those who work every day in Zimpeto to care for the sick.