The 2009-10 cycle was the first year AFS welcomed 5 young Mozambican men and women to the US on the YES program, currently hosted in KY, DC, OH, KS, and AK. As we look forward to the arrival of the next group of students from Mozambique, AFS-USA is continuing to partner with the Lurdes Mutola Foundation (FLM) for the recruitment, selection, and orientation of YES students. FLM works to provide Mozambican youth the services they need to further develop through education, sports, and entrepreneurial opportunities. For more information about YES in Mozambique, please visit The Lurdes Motola Foundation

For the2010-11 cycle, Mozambique saw a total of 41 applicants competing for 10 scholarship opportunities. From this first group, 18 finalists from two main cities in Mozambique—Nampula in the north and Maputo (the capitol) in the south— came together in Maputo for a final selection. Among them were the first 3 deaf students recruited in Mozambique. The final 10 students will be divided up among the AFS-led YES consortium of hosting organizations: ACES, AIFS, CIEE, and PAX; student applications will become available in the coming weeks.