I was born in Maputo, Mozambique. I grew up on the heels of freedom from Portuguese colonialism. Like so many of my countrymen, I rejoiced in songs of hope and promises of a better life for its indigenous black people. I initially attended school, but life seemed normal. That is until civil war became a reality and fear became the norm. Consequently, I experienced firsthand a sudden shortage of food and a marked decline in the quality of classroom instruction. My country was divided not only by race but also by socioeconomic status. 

As my country slipped into chaos, I became transfixed by the notion of safeguarding individual rights, especially those of women. Inspired, I sought any opportunity to improve my situation. I left Mozambique at the age of 17. At that time, a decade of civil war resulted in barren grocery shelves and a public education system on the brink of collapse. 

I moved to Portugal to pursue basketball and an education. I have been blessed with considerable height (6 feet, 5 inches) and athletic prowess. I earned an athletic scholarship to pursue my bachelor’s in criminal justice at Old Dominion University. I spent 22 years playing in the professional ranks, including the WNBA (Los Angeles Sparks, Charlotte Sting, Orlando Miracle), and noted overseas leagues in Portugal, Brazil, France, Korea, Spain, and Italy. 

I felt a responsibility to take action. In 2014, I founded the Clarisse Machanguana Foundation to empower Mozambican youth with sustainable programming based on three pillars: sports, education, and health. The Clarisse Machanguana Foundation (CMF) represents the crystallization of my personal beliefs and goals. We provide personal development opportunities through sports and educational programming to help Mozambique’s youth—and girls in particular—educate themselves and engage community leaders to become changemakers and enhance the lives of both boys and girls across the country. 

Our programs are grounded in sports and leadership development that bring awareness to the challenging circumstances faced by young women in Mozambique. We are embarking upon an ambitious effort to build the Clarisse Machanguana Academy (CMA) to achieve maximum impact, transformative and sustainable change. Building upon the success of our community programs, the Academy will help girls remain in school and offer programs that strengthen leadership attributes and resilience. Together with our students and their families, we will create the next generation of confident female leaders who will collectively improve our society.