Vilma de Carmen Nhambi

Vilma de Carmen Nhambi began her career in community development as a women’s advocate in 2009 with the Mozambican Association for Woman Empowerment (AMODEM). While working with AMODEM, she served as the Community Development Coordinator of Bio Óleos de Maxixe (BOM) and later became the Regional Sales Manager. She currently serves as an independent consultant providing workshops on small business management in marginalized areas of Mozambique with an aim to encourage and help women to develop businesses. Vilma was recently elected to serve as the President of Girls in Development: Education and Health (REDES), a program developed by Peace Corps in Mozambique. She is responsible for facilitating support groups for young girls that promote women’s rights, increase self- confidence, improve knowledge of sexual health, and develop income generating projects. Upon completing the Washington Fellowship program, Vilma de Carmen Nhambi plans to expand her business by providing consultancy and training on the management of small businesses, conduct market research in the urban areas of Mozambique, and work in partnership with schools to provide workshops to encourage young people to pursue their dreams. Vilma was one of 100 Fellows competitively selected to participate in an 8-week internship in the United States following the Mandela Washington Fellowship(Africa) academic institute. She interned at Coca-Cola in August-September 2014.