Invest in a woman, empower a community.
Kurandza is a grassroots nonprofit that believes in the power of self-sufficient communities. By developing holistic projects that focus on educating and empowering low-income populations, we lift people, families and communities out of poverty, starting with rural villages in southern Mozambique.
The story of Kurandza
HOW IT ALL STARTED…
While serving three years in the Peace Corps in Africa, Elisabetta immersed herself in the local Mozambican culture, building friendships with many of the women in her village.
Together, Kurandza was established as a sewing cooperative, constructed from mud bricks. A group of 12 HIV+ women, were taught financial literacy, health, and entrepreneurship, with the aim of providing a means of income that could cover the costs of hospital visits and medication.
In 2016, when a drought and hunger crisis struck our village and people were going hungry, Kurandza amplified our efforts. Our first campaign was launched, raising funds to provide food aid for a group of women, their families, and malnourished babies in the village. We began to see the true potential of grassroots community development.
Recognizing the importance of early support for girls, and confronted with the fact that approximately 130 million girls worldwide were not in school and becoming child brides, Kurandza shifted its focus to education and skills training.
OUR GRASSROOTS APPROACH
At Kurandza, our roots run deep in the community, and our leadership team comprises the exceptional 1% of Mozambican women who have successfully achieved a college education. These women stand as powerful examples of the impact education and empowerment can have on one's life, inspiring the young girls in our program to envision a future full of opportunities for themselves and their community.
The power of our movement is in the people who are a part of it. Since 2014, we have successfully mobilized a community of purpose-driven individuals deeply passionate about empowering girls and women. By taking a holistic approach and acting at the local level, we’ve been able to create real meaningful change from within, sparking the transformation of entire communities that will endure for years to come and break the generational cycle of poverty.
Over the years
Our core values
01. We lead with love.
Meaning “to love” in Changana, the local language of the community we serve, we chose Kurandza as our name to reflect how we treat others with empathy, compassion, and friendliness.
02. We always make a way.
We take pride in our positive, can-do attitude. For every challenge we face, we work together to find a solution. Every setback is an opportunity to show how resourceful we are.
03. We do our best EVERY DAY.
We pursue excellence in everything we do. We begin and complete our work with care and attention to detail, and our work ethic is what enables us to be efficient with resources and effective with our impact.
04. We give a hand up, not a hand out.
We design programs meant to create lasting impact across multiple generations, and this kind of long-term sustainability is only possible through self-sufficiency and the transfer of skills.
05. We keep our word.
We do what we say we’re going to do, keep our promises, and honor our commitments. Our word is our bond and we place a high value in integrity and responsibility.
06. Estamos Juntos.
At Kurandza, we are family, and we believe in bringing people together. With every relationship we cultivate, from our team to our donors to our girls, we create a sense of connection and belonging.
THE TEAM
On the Ground Team in Mozambique
Mariazinha
Administrative Manager
Mónica
Programs Coordinator
Kátia
Operations Coordinator
Alice
Field Assistant
Florida
Educator
Gina
Community Mobilizer
Percina
Counselor
MEET THE FOUNDER
Elisabetta Colabianchi
Elisabetta has spent the past decade leading humanitarian efforts in Mozambique. Before founding Kurandza, she worked for non-profits, NGOs, and government agencies in New York City and Mozambique.
She is passionate about creating impactful programs to help communities become self-sufficient, especially in rural villages. As Founder and Executive Director, Elisabetta works alongside the Mozambican team to oversee program operations, creates the vision for the organization, and leads communications with partners.
Elisabetta lives in the Western US, where she runs Kurandza stateside. In her spare time, you can find her hiking, drawing, baking, or learning a new language - She’s fluent in 4! She loves helping fellow entrepreneurs and humanitarian leaders leave their mark on the world.
Come say hi to Elisabetta and the team at info@kurandza.org. We would love to connect with you!