João Faustino da Costa stands out on several fronts that drive development in different ways, from the most essential, which is the peace and social well-being that Mozambicans so desperately need, to business and skills development. Based in the city of Beira, he made an important contribution as Provincial Reintegration Facilitator for the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in the country's pacification process, which culminated in the Agreement for the Definitive Cessation of Military Hostilities in 2019. UNOPS aims to help different partners implement humanitarian aid, development and peace-building projects in the world's most complex contexts through sustainable practices. Meanwhile, it strives to mobilize and promote business opportunities. His nose for business led him to an innovative initiative to create and establish the Samora Freedom Fighter perfume brand, inspired by Mozambique's first president.
This interview is to get to know his profile, his career and the ideas that can transform and inspire Mozambique.
We can start with your work as a volunteer at the UN and in an important process such as peace in Mozambique. As a Mozambican, how do you see this work and being part of a global institution, but looking for a solution for Mozambique?
It is a privilege to be able to be part of a global organization that, among its many doctrines, the most important are the development and progress of communities in an environment of peace. As a Mozambican, the responsibility, importance and commitment is even greater because I believe that cultural barriers are minimal so that there is better communication and commitment to the implementation of peace itself in the country.
What responsibilities do you have in your mission and how does it work?
In fact, it's a whole team effort in which the responsibilities are transversal, in my case it was to meet with partners in the private sector and/or at government level in order to arrange community opportunities (agricultural projects, distribution of inputs, etc.), family and/or personal opportunities (youth training and job opportunities) for the beneficiaries, in this case, demobilized people and their relatives.
What does it mean to be a UN volunteer and what work do you have to do?
It's surrender, it's being ready and having the duty to serve, support and help regardless of the occasion, situation or location. It's about being more human in this adverse world. The projects vary according to the various situations in the world, for example in Mozambique it was the war situation, in other parts of the world it was natural disasters, the volunteer must be prepared to take on the mission and help. On a day-to-day basis, it's about being patient and always conveying a message of peace, understanding and understanding to everyone around you.
How did you get to the United Nations and aspire to other missions in the organization?
I had the opportunity to accompany the start of the peace process negotiations as a translator, and from there I was called upon more formally to continue with other tasks and responsibilities (as I already knew the process and its sensitivity). I'm always ready for new missions, it's my duty.
Given your work with international volunteering, but also with entrepreneurship in general, how do you see Mozambique on a world stage?
Not only do we have a lot to learn, we also have to be willing to open ourselves up to learning, but this won't happen any time soon as long as there is harmful management, no perpetuator of evil wants to be caught, as long as they have the means they will ruthlessly hinder an entire body of peace, progress and prosperity, but water and wind are the most abundant and strongest elements in the world and the ones most used to put out fire.
As a consultant and business developer, what areas do you identify as strong for entrepreneurs to invest in?
There are many. But let me focus on agribusiness, which Mozambique unfortunately still doesn't see the true potential of. A hungry country will never have stable health, and this consequently results in low productivity and development. We have a few anonymous young people active at the moment, but 95% of them only want to be in the metropolis. Nothing against it, but the congestion and the various frustrations to which they are subjected are remarkable. We need to reinvent ourselves, and young Mozambicans are strong and fighting, they have lots of ideas, but there's a lack of support. At the moment I think I've found a small solution for Mozambican entrepreneurship, but we'll see if the managers of large companies really support the initiative or not. We need to train the kids coming out of secondary school.
You've developed a line of perfumes inspired by Samora Machel. How did this idea come about and how did it materialize?
This is an interesting story! They say that nothing happens by chance and humility, moderation, patience and respect open doors and leave good impressions. I was offered a job in Beira and, as always, I'm ready for new challenges, so even though I don't have the capital, I took a chance; there I met my partner, a renowned Brazilian perfumer, much older than me, and after becoming friends I decided to offer him the chance to pay homage to Samora in a totally different way, as there are already statues, books, but perfume? We started the project, distributed 500 samples around the country to test the sensitivity of Mozambicans to the material and it was presented at the Cosmetica Prize in Sao Paulo (the biggest cosmetics prize in America) as innovation of the year 2018.
The brand is called Samora Freedom Fighter. It should be noted that 10% of the profits from sales will go to the Samora Machel Documentation Center for social causes and the rest to create working capital, as a way of continuing with new launches. The aim is for the idea not to stop there. It's important to say that there is no vision of profits, it's people from all over the world who admire and love Samora Machel who have come together so that his name continues to be remembered around the world.
What stage is the perfume at and how can Mozambicans access it?
At the moment it's being restructured, because the package is going to be more complete, we're on the right track. I faced a lot of difficulties and skepticism in terms of support and sponsorship, but now we're on the right track. I'm very sure that the 2024/25 season will be full of surprises. It's important to note that we were the first in the world to launch an essence that pays homage to a leader, a president.
Since we're talking to an "expert", how do we grasp the opportunities and make the most of them as young people looking for a persevering future?
With respect, verticality, transparency and humility, that says it all, but it's not the whole package. I'm not a specialist, opportunities arise and I channel them, I try to find a third partner with capital and interested in the diversity that the package presents and, like me, motivated to increase income.
Some say we shouldn't be afraid, I say that fear is essential, because it leads us in good directions. We must open exactly the door that for whatever reason we are afraid to open. We have to take risks, but without cheating, stepping on or embarrassing others.
