Dionísio Américo Chitsumba was born and raised in Vilanculos District in Mozambique’s Inhambane Province. After completing secondary school, he enrolled in the Universidade Pedagógica de Moçambique, where he graduated with a degree in human resources. He then went on to pursue additional coursework in community development. He worked first as a trainer for the national census, and subsequently as a secondary school teacher and a provincial trainer for STAE (the Technical Secretariat of the Electoral Administration for Inhambane Province). From 2009-2013, Dionísio worked for Joint Aid Management International (JAM) as a Community Development Program Officer in the food security and water programs. He left JAM in 2014 to work with Food for the Hungry, where he served as Field Officer for the malaria prevention program, focusing on community education and participation, including strengthening the capacity of village health committees. Dionísio joined Namati in April of 2016 as Program Officer in Inhambane.