Maputo, March 21 (Xinhua) — This road has changed the lives of local people – Chinese enterprises help pave the way for development in Tete City, Mozambique
At 6:30 in the morning, the construction section of Highway 301 in Matanbo, Tete City, Mozambique was already a busy scene. 20-year-old Bezeniya Furrentio, wearing a reflective vest, guides vehicles along the construction road. For this girl from the outskirts of Tete, the road being repaired is not only an infrastructure project, but also the beginning of a life changing journey.
Furrentio comes from a family of seven and joined the construction team of the 301 Highway Restoration Project in Tete City after graduating in 2025. Nowadays, she can not only use her income to subsidize her household expenses, but also gradually participate in more construction activities.
On December 7, 2025, at the construction site of Highway 301 from Matanbo to Malala in Tete City, Mozambique, workers carried out road surface repair work. Xinhua News Agency (photo provided by Henan International Group, China)
This job has made me more independent and taught me more skills. At first, I could only do some traffic guidance work, but now I can participate in more types of project construction, “she said.
The total length of this restoration project is 117 kilometers, invested and constructed by the Mozambique Kaola Barca Hydroelectric Company. The road restoration project of about 50 kilometers from Matanbo to Malala is undertaken by China Henan International Group. The project includes rebuilding roads, constructing 1 weighing station, 1 intersection, and 4 bus stops, building 14 new box culverts, repairing 44 pipe culverts and 8 box culverts, repairing 7 bridges and 1 toll station, etc. After completion, it will not only serve the transportation of hydropower station equipment, but also benefit residents in surrounding areas, creating conditions for community travel, logistics, and tourism development.
Shi Chaohui, the project manager of Henan International Group in China, stated that the project will begin implementation in January 2025 and is currently undergoing asphalt concrete surface paving. The project has attracted over 700 local workers to participate in construction, including 72 women.
At the construction site, Peng Baofu, the chief civil engineer of the project, often squats beside local workers and teaches them hand in hand how to build walls, control mortar ratios, and level and straighten.
On December 7, 2025, at the construction site of Highway 301 from Matanbo to Malala in Tete City, Mozambique, workers were laying asphalt concrete surface layer. Xinhua News Agency (photo provided by Henan International Group, China)
Masonry requires attention to detail. It’s not good if the mortar is too thin or too dry. The brick joints should be even and the angles should be right, “he said. At first, many local workers had no building foundation, so Peng Baofu started teaching from the most basic processes, using simple diagrams to explain and demonstrating repeatedly with gestures and simple Portuguese.
Under his leadership, a group of local workers gradually grew into skilled masons, with some taking charge of group work and others able to independently complete wall masonry. Along with technological advancements, income also increases.
Residents living in Malala community, such as Thermis Agnesia, are full of expectations for the completion of the project. She said that in the past, the roads were severely damaged and travel was very inconvenient, especially in emergency situations such as transporting patients or pregnant women. Road bumps not only increased the risk, but also may exacerbate discomfort.
The road is fixed, there are more cars, freight is smooth, and the prices of daily necessities will definitely come down, “Agnesia said.
With the steady progress of the project, sections of asphalt roads continue to extend. This highway, which carries the expectations of energy security and people’s livelihood improvement, is becoming an important link connecting communities, technology, and the future.