Aurélio António Costa

I am Aurélio António Costa, born in a rural community in Mozambique where access to basic services was scarce. The son of a smallholder farmer and a police officer, I grew up in a family of five children, helping my parents run small ventures to supplement our household income. This upbringing taught me the negative impact that lack of infrastructure can have on people’s lives and strengthened my belief that challenges do not define our paths, but rather our ability to overcome them. I moved to Maputo to study Environmental Engineering and, to finance my education, began selling solar kits—this led to the founding of Algumassa Energia, an initiative dedicated to bringing clean, affordable energy to the most remote areas. Beyond my entrepreneurial work, I volunteered as a reading mentor in literacy classes and served as head librarian at Mozambique Onlus, an organization that fosters digital education and reading access in underprivileged communities. These experiences underscore my commitment to social inclusion, education, and sustainable development.