Alcina, Mozambique - World's Children's Prize

Alcina, Mozambique

Alcina represents girls subjected to child marriage, or at risk of child marriage, and who are forced to quit school.

When Alcina is growing up in the village of Malhacule near Limpopo National Park in Mozambique, her dad supports the family through poaching.

When armed rangers start protecting the wild animals, Alcina's father gives up poaching. This makes the family even poorer.

Alcina goes to school, but she has no time for play. She has to gather wood, fetch water, cook, do the dishes and more.

When Alcina is 13 and in fifth grade, a 40-year-old man who is a rhino hunter starts paying visits to her parents and offering money, food and beer.

Although the man is already married, Alcina’s parents force her to marry him. She has to quit school against her will and move to the man’s village.

Alcina is devastated. Her dreams for the future are in tatters, and she doesn’t know what to do. All day she does household chores.

Alcina gives birth to her son, Peter, when she has only just turned 14.

Alcina’s head teacher Ricardo goes on a course with four of his students, and together they learn about children’s rights.

“Before the course, I didn’t know that girls have the same rights as boys. Now girls’ rights always have a place at my school,” says the head teacher, listing the rights on the blackboard.

A month later, Alcina takes a walk to her home village to ask her parents for maize. She meets her head teacher, who asks why she isn’t at school. Alcina tells him about all the terrible things that have happened.

Back to school!

When the head teacher tells Alcina’s parents that in Mozambique there are laws prohibiting child marriage, they agree to let Alcina and her son come home, and to let her start school again.

Alcina becomes a Child Rights Ambassador and joins the World's Children's Prize Child Jury. Her mum looks after her son Peter when she’s at school and during her trip to Sweden in Europe.

Alcina meets the jury and Queen Silvia of Sweden to the World’s Children’s Prize ceremony at Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred. During the ceremony, she stands up on stage and tells everyone that on the Child Jury she represents all girls who are subjected to child marriage and forced to quit school.

Now, Alcina is involved in the WCP project My Rights & My Future for girls in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, which teaches girls about their rights and helps them return to school.

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