From child marriage to fashion entrepreneur: Elsa dos Santos stitches a new future in Mozambique

Growing up in Natikiri, Nampula Province, Elsa experienced violence and trauma at an early age. Concerned about her future, her guardians removed her from school and arranged her marriage. Still in Grade 6, she was told: “Next year, you won’t be going back to school.”

Her fiancé controlled her movements and described a future without education. Elsa rejected that future. “I did not want that life for myself,” she recalls.

She ran away, compelling her family to return the dowry and gifts that had already been exchanged. The decision was difficult, but it marked the beginning of her journey towards independence.

Determined to continue her education, Elsa returned to school in 2010. Financial hardship interrupted her studies more than once, but she took seasonal work, saved what she could and persevered. In 2016, she completed Grade 12 in Rapale district.

For Elsa, education became more than a personal goal: it was a pathway to freedom and the foundation for a different future.

Skills that opened a new chapter

In 2017, Elsa joined the Rapariga Biz Programme as a mentor, supporting girls facing challenges similar to those she had overcome.

Two years later, she received a programme scholarship to study tailoring at the Alberto Cassimo Professional Training and Labour Studies Institute (IFPELAC), a UN Women partner implementing the programme’s economic empowerment component.

After completing her training and internship, Elsa received a business start-up kit in 2020 with a sewing machine, iron, scissors, thread and capulana fabric. She used the skills and equipment to establish Likirikita Fashion, creating clothing inspired by local designs.

“For me, there are no limits to what women can do,” Elsa says. “Whatever a man can do, a woman can do too. You just need courage.”

From a start-up kit to two businesses

What began as a small tailoring enterprise has become a source of income, stability and confidence. Elsa earns a living from her work, reinvests in her business and shares her skills with others.

One former employee has opened his own tailoring business, and Elsa now mentors a young apprentice through Rapariga Biz. “I want to help other young people develop their skills and create opportunities for themselves,” she says.

To strengthen her financial resilience, Elsa also trained in baking and launched a second business making custom cakes for birthdays and special occasions.

“The knowledge I gained about sexual and reproductive health and rights, financial literacy, and the business support I received have allowed me to live independently and make my own decisions,” she explains.

Elsa now manages her household expenses, supports her family and continues to grow her enterprises. Building her own home is among her proudest achievements, a tangible symbol of the independence she worked hard to secure.

Elsa plans to move her tailoring business to a more strategic location, invest in industrial sewing machines and expand her customer base. Her ambitions, however, extend beyond business growth: she wants other girls to have the information, skills and confidence to shape their own futures.

“Don’t rush into marriage while you are still a child,” she advises. “Study, gain skills, and work towards your goals. Your future is worth investing in.”

About the Rapariga Biz Programme

Implemented by UNFPA, UN Women, UNICEF and UNESCO, with support from the Governments of Sweden and Canada, the Rapariga Biz Programme equips adolescent girls and young women with knowledge, skills and opportunities to make informed choices and build brighter futures.

Elsa’s journey demonstrates how sustained access to education, skills training, mentoring and economic opportunities can help girls overcome adversity and exercise greater agency. Once facing child marriage and limited prospects, she is now an entrepreneur, mentor and advocate for girls’ rights.