Oxfam in Mozambique - sowing the seeds of recovery
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Women clearing bamboo away to open up another field
for crop growing in Muhoco. They are members of the women's
farmers' association in the community
Photo: Joel Chiziane/Oxfam |
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Helping people to produce enough food to live on is an essential
part of Oxfam’s work in Mozambique. Until recently, farmers
in remote areas couldn’t travel to markets to get good prices
for their crops. It was also difficult for them to hear about new
techniques since virtually no one owns a radio, and most people
are illiterate. Now however, farmers have begun to work together
and form associations to make sure that they get a better deal.
Veronica Erque is a farmer who recently joined an association.
She can see the benefits:
"My son, who is five, goes to school here and I have to pay
5,000mts (about 25p) a year to send him there. Sometimes there is
no way I can pay this and so I have to pay using the maize we grow.
"I also have to pay for medicines here if we get sick. If
my son is ill I have to take him to a small clinic about 18km away.
Sometimes I have to leave without medicine, as we can’t afford
to pay.
"It’s because of this kind of suffering that I got involved
with the association. We sell traditional beer and rice and the
money we earn is divided between us. It’s difficult to know
what will happen to us in the future. The most important thing now
though is for us all to make sure that the association is working
well."
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