In Maputo’s bairro do Choupal, there is a special place born from an idea that is as simple as it is revolutionary: to open the doors of their homes to the neighborhood children. Thus was born Khensany Kids, a community development association born in 2021 from the meeting of Hélia Chamuel, a sociocultural activist with deep roots in the local community, and Emma Anjuli, a German volunteer who came to Mozambique for an international volunteer experience. Together, these two women have created a safe and creative space open to the neighborhood’s children-a welcoming environment where they can grow, learn and dream together.

The name of the neighborhood, Choupal, comes from the Portuguese word choupo, which in Italian means poplar, a tree capable of absorbing large amounts of water, a perfect symbol of adaptation and resilience. Planted during colonial times, these trees still tell the story of a community that faces daily challenges posed by climate change, resource scarcity and economic instability. In this context, many parents find themselves forced to involve their children in work activities, taking them away from school and childhood rights, while the lack of safe spaces for play and learning makes young people even more vulnerable to social marginalization phenomena such as dropping out of school, substance abuse or early marriage.

Khensany Kids was created precisely in response to this need: to offer children and adolescents in the bairro a protected and stimulating environment where they can develop personal and social skills, making community cohesion its driving force for change. In recent years, in fact, the association has implemented numerous educational pathways, from school support to workshops in dance, crafts and sports, to environmental and artistic activities for the redevelopment of common spaces.

The year 2025 marked a new phase of growth thanks to the collaboration with AGAPE volunteers, engaged in Mozambique as part of the Universal Civil Service. Thanks to their commitment, in fact, the association was able to expand its activities, involving not only children but also their families in shared and participatory educational paths. Among the most significant initiatives, two cooking workshops have strengthened intergenerational ties: the first led by Mozambican chef Allan Garcia, who reinterpreted local dishes; the second led by Italian pastry chef Chiara Fontana, who led mothers and children to discover the confectionery tradition of Southern Italy. Experiences that ignited new curiosity in children and enhanced the culinary heritage of the women of the bairro.

In collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Cinema, a film screening event was also born: a moment of shared encounter and reflection in which the youngest children can express ideas, emotions and thoughts. Likewise, thanks to the support of the Chapateca community library, reading has become a tool for collective listening and imagination.

Through collaboration with young Mozambican artists, the children of Choupal were able to explore a new expressive language: music. Together, they wrote and recorded the official Khensany Kids song, experiencing the creative process firsthand and experiencing the power of teamwork. Finally, with the project Uma criança, uma árvore, each child planted their own choupo, symbolically and concretely contributing to the birth of a future social space for the community.

Today Khensany Kids is much more than an association: it is an idea that walks and transforms, it is a living network of relationships, creativity and learning. An experience that demonstrates how, even in fragile contexts, education and community care can become seeds of change for a better and more sustainable future.