Maputo, Sept. 21, 2026 (Lusa) - At the «Girafa Solar» in Katembe Nsime, Maputo, designed by the Carlos Morgado Foundation, Justino finds leisure, companionship and a place to charge his mobile phone, as part of a project that now serves 44,000 beneficiaries in Mozambique, where electricity is still expanding.
«We now have a convenient place to charge our phones, saving us an average walk of perhaps 10 kilometres,» Justino Cuna, 39, tells Lusa following the installation of a Solar Giraffe in the village of Katembe Nsime, in the district of Matutuíne, Maputo province.
Solar panels mounted on an elevated wooden structure, known as the «Solar Giraffe» and designed by the Carlos Morgado Foundation, power the system, which allows up to 10 mobile phones to charge simultaneously, provides lighting, and powers a radio attached to the structure to entertain residents.
In communities that rely on off-grid solutions, it has also become a place for socialising and gathering. There, Justino found a new way to connect with other residents: «The giraffe has also served as a bond between us.» The foundation installed the structure on 1 November 2025 near the community of the so-called «heroes of Matutuíne», comprising more than 500 people from around 100 families who lost their homes in floods since 2023. Amidst makeshift tents and homes built by the residents themselves, the «Solar Giraffe» has become a meeting place where concerns are shared, and challenges such as the need for water and electricity are discussed.
«We believe that the [Solar] Giraffe has transformed our lives,» said Justino, who can now keep in regular contact with family and friends.
Since 2020, the initiative has enabled the installation of 22 ‘Solar Giraffes' in communities across the northern, central and southern regions of Mozambique, reaching around 44,000 beneficiaries in areas without access to electricity. Every month, these facilities recharge the batteries of 11,000 mobile phones, benefiting those who are waiting for the electricity grid to arrive.
Among them is Nora Matsinhe, 39, who has lived in the village for almost two years and has found in this facility a simpler way to communicate with distant family members, while also socialising with other residents daily.
«We're able to charge our phones so we can communicate with people who are far away, and it helps us a lot because, honestly, charging a phone used to be very difficult,» she says.
Nora acknowledges, however, that demand for the service already exceeds existing capacity.
«It would really be better to add another [solar] tower, because there are so many of us charging our phones,» she noted.
With the arrival of solar-generated electricity, the village's daily routine has also changed. What used to end at nightfall now continues for several hours, thanks to the available lighting and the social gatherings around the structure.
«It used to be a bit of a struggle, really, because by 6.00 p.m. you had to go inside and try to sleep; there was no other option, but now we've got an advantage. We stay here, charge [our mobile phones], chat, […] listen to the radio and dance,» he added.
As night falls, once the batteries have been charged, the «Solar Giraffe» turns into a small community centre, bringing children together on the swings and adults gathered round a solar-powered television to watch football matches.
The idea was born in 2015, initially conceived as a simple veranda with solar panels. The design team gradually improved the structure based on suggestions from the first beneficiaries, until it took on its current elevated form, supported by eucalyptus poles, resembling a giraffe, like the ones that roam nearby.
«When we redesigned the project, we used some larger eucalyptus poles and suddenly we looked at the design from the side and realised that, after all, it's no longer a veranda – it's a giraffe; it looks like a giraffe,» recalls Ruben Morgado, the project's 48-year-old executive director.
Each structure supports small businesses, facilitates access to mobile financial services, and enhances local security through night-time lighting.
Now, the Carlos Morgado Foundation aims to continue expanding the project to other parts of the country.
«One of our goals is to change the Portuguese dictionary to include the verb ‘girafar'. We want to ‘girafar' Mozambique,» says Ruben.
Each unit costs around 600,000 meticais (€7,976), has an estimated lifespan of five years, and installers can set it up in just two days. The project leader is seeking new partnerships to extend the initiative to other communities that currently lack access to electricity.
Take Bernardo Pedro, aged 66, who says he has regained hours of the day that he used to spend travelling seven kilometres from his village to charge his mobile phone. He, too, is calling for another unit to meet the growing demand.
«Now the community here is a bit bigger, so it's not easy,» comments Bernardo, a parent of eight.
He also argues that solar power could light the village and power a water borehole, which currently awaits electricity to come online.
«All we need is electricity. Now, if someone of good will were to install solar panels there, it could be very useful,» says Bernardo.
Established in 2010 in honour of its patron and former Minister of Industry and Trade of Mozambique (2000–2005), Carlos Alberto Sampaio Morgado, the foundation works with various partners to design and implement projects focused on innovation, inspiration and investment, aiming to promote the country's sustainable development.
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