Coca-Cola Sabco (Moçambique) SA (CCSM), a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), presented, for the second time in a row, a program that focuses on the development of Mozambican women, called VEM - Valorização e Empoderamento da Mulher.

The launch took place at the Coca-Cola Sabco factory in Matola-Gare, in Matola, and was attended by Júlio José Parruque, Governor of Maputo Province, Calisto Cossa, Mayor of Matola, several members of Coca-Cola and civil society such as Malor José Chauque, representative of the 2022 graduates.

In 2022, CCSM developed a social project that impacted 50 women who work collecting plastic bottles (PET) and to whom Coca-Cola Sabco provided training using a tool called the train-the-trainer.

In practice, the program reached a total of 3,034 women and due to its success and impact, the institution decided to give it a new dimension, this time in the form of a program, VEM - Valorization and Empowerment of Women.

In this new version, the aim is to reach 104 women, using the same training dynamic and reaching 3,160 women in total.

The program will last 12 weeks and aims to develop skills and expand employment horizons in an economic inclusion and job creation program. There will even be the participation of 4 trainees from last year who have become trainers this year.

The program provides training in health and safety issues, identification and segregation of plastic types, technical skills, and planning such as income management, organization, control and leadership so that they can expand the activity.

The trainees will also be trained in the impact of plastic collection and recycling, both locally and globally, with the aim of creating a sense of pride in the work of the collectors.

CCSM Managing Director Duncan Wyness said: "This program is aligned with our growth objectives of creating a strong and successful Coca[1]Cola system in Africa through job creation, skills development, and social development through waste recycling. We are proud to be an industry leader in developing increasingly sustainable ways to manufacture, distribute and sell our products."

"We use our leadership in the sector to be part of the solution and achieve positive change in the world and build a sustainable future for our planet. We are working on solutions to create a circular economy that benefits society and works for our business, setting ambitious targets for our business to take responsibility for our packaging throughout its life cycle and reduce ocean pollution," Wyness shared.

As part of the Coca-Cola system's World Without Waste initiative, CCBA has pledged to help collect and recycle the equivalent of 100% of bottles or cans sold by 2030, make all its packaging 100% recyclable by 2025, have 50% of recycled content in its packaging by 2030 and make 25% of its packaging reusable by 2030.