University Student Retention In Mozambique And Its Challenges: Meanings Of Individual Trajectories

This study reports on an international experience involving faculty and undergraduate students from Mozambique, along with Brazilian volunteers, under the project "Together We Are Stronger," facilitated by the Center for Studies and Research on Racial Relations and Education (Nepre) at the Federal University of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The focus is on analyzing the challenges faced by Mozambican students in maintaining their university enrollment and the activities developed to support them in this process. The project includes nine students from various courses at Eduardo Mondlane University, the Higher School of Marine and Coastal Sciences in the city of Quelimane, and Save University, as well as one high school student. The results highlight the challenges being overcome through assistance in areas such as transportation, income, housing, and the lack of institutional and faculty support. It concludes that there is a need to strengthen policies and programs for university retention to contribute to a technical, democratic, and quality education that converges towards changing students' life expectations