Project presentation
Mozambique has low agricultural productivity due to severe drought, which poses a constant threat to access to food, water and basic services. Nacala-a-Velha is a coastal district located in the north of the country, mainly inhabited by the Makhuwa farming community. Farmers produce subsistence crops (cassava, beans, maize and peanuts) through family-based manual farming, but they face significant food security challenges. Cassava, their main crop, is affected by disease, while small-scale livestock farming remains underdeveloped due to major health-related constraints.
Makhuwa women are at the heart of the agricultural system, as they carry out most farming activities in addition to their domestic responsibilities. However, their position within society and their families remains fragile due to discrimination from men.
The project aims to set up 85 participatory agricultural training sessions focused on improving existing production methods and introducing new crops, benefiting five groups of women.
The training provided includes theoretical courses, practical experiments on dedicated plots to compare the advantages and disadvantages of new crops and farming techniques, as well as field visits to research centres and other development projects.
At the same time, beneficiaries have access to seed loans and support for purchasing agricultural tools, in order to encourage crop diversification and improve resistance to diseases. A restocking programme for poultry and goats is also organised through a revolving animal loan system, combined with theoretical and practical training in poultry farming. In each group, one woman is trained as a “livestock promoter” to provide vaccination support, while communities are made aware of the importance of health monitoring for poultry and goats.
