Norwegian Embassy grant enables further help for displaced people in Mozambique
Aga Khan Foundation
Mozambique · 7 December 2021 · 2 min
AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
This page is also available inDespite rapid economic growth in recent years, the province of Cabo Delgado has lagged behind the rest of Mozambique and remains the country’s poorest province. Communities rely heavily on agriculture and are extremely vulnerable to climatic shocks and food price fluctuations. Over half of all children under five are stunted through malnutrition. Extremist attacks have led to much civilian suffering and an estimated 663,000 internally displaced people.
The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) has worked to improve the quality of life in Cabo Delgado for over two decades. It helps farmers increase their crop production and access markets; supports 123 village development organisations; and works with communities and health professionals to strengthen health care in the region.
Meet entrepreneur Bacar Andinane, whose attendance of an AKF-supported nutrition workshop led to a successful business, and see how AKF’s other projects in the area have improved life in Cabo Delgado.
A smallholder farmer in Cabo Delgado uses the AKF-promoted “Gorongosa style” silo, designed to securely store larger volumes of seed and grain over significant periods of time.
AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
On 23 November 2021, the Norwegian Foreign Office agreed to a grant of US$ 1.1 million to support AKF’s work. It will be used over the next two years to benefit 3,000 internally displaced people, alongside another 15,000 beneficiaries in Chiure and Metuge in Cabo Delgado. The project focuses on women and young people. It covers food security, socio-economic resilience and social cohesion, aiming to spur agricultural activity in displaced communities.
The project will be delivered through the village development organisations supported by AKF, and via the Instituto Agrário de Ocua. The latter was previously the Agrarian Institute of Bilibiza. Destroyed by insurgents in 2020, it has relocated to Ocua along with its faculty and 337 students.
The Norwegian Embassy and AKF have worked together since 2016 on the Institute’s improvement and modernisation project, enhancing lives and livelihoods both in the short term and for the future. The Institute’s recent initiatives have included building a community aviary holding 750 chickens to support internally displaced people; introducing vitamin-rich sweet potatoes into local diets; and collecting seeds for reforestation.
Minister Counsellor of the Norwegian Embassy Sissel Idland (left) and AKF Mozambique National Director Agostinho Mamade (right) signing the grant agreement with the AKDN Diplomatic Representative Nazim Ahmad (left) and the Norwegian Ambassador Haakon Gram-Johannessen (right) looking on.
AKDN
At the signing of the grant agreement, Norwegian Ambassador Haakon Gram-Johannessen spoke about the broad basis of cooperation between Norway and AKDN in different countries, about the existing collaboration with AKF in Mozambique and about his trust in AKDN’s ability to deliver services to vulnerable people in Cabo Delgado. AKDN Diplomatic Representative for Mozambique Nazim Ahmad thanked the Ambassador and his government for this trust, acknowledging the long-standing and impactful cooperation between the two organisations in Cabo Delgado.