Location: Cabo Delgado (Montepuez, Balama and Ancuabe districts)
Duration: 2021 – 2024
Donor: USAID
Focus areas: Rural entrepreneurism and job skills; horticulture; Conservation Agriculture; financial inclusion and credit and savings groups; access to input and offtake markets, including last mile inputs distribution; Information Communication Technology
By nearly all development indicators, Cabo Delgado lags behind the rest of Mozambique. It is therefore little surprise that, despite the province’s richness in natural resources, Cabo Delgado is now the scene of a violent insurgency rapidly threatening neighboring provinces. Now more than ever, Cabo Delgado needs interventions that contribute to social and economic security – particularly for vulnerable and marginalized groups most at risk of extremist rhetoric (such as youths).
In partnership with SCDS (multidisciplinary consulting company specializing in vulnerable populations), UATAF (specialists in adult education, community savings and lending and financial inclusion) and private sector partners including Plexus Mozambique Limited (Cabo Delgado’s premier agribusiness, with a network of 75,000 smallholder suppliers), Olipihana supports 12,000 people – mainly young people, women and internally displaced people – to access to employment opportunities, skills diversify their livelihoods. In the short term, this should prevent the marginalization of vulnerable communities and limit the expansion of Cabo Delgado’s violent insurgency into neighboring provinces. In the longer term, Olipihana aims to address the underlying factors that leave communities vulnerable to economic, social, environmental, health and other shocks.
Selected results to date:
- Practical TVET: 367 people (primarily women, youth and IDPs) trained in short, practical courses and immediately generating an income with start-up kits – IT skills, bread baking, motorcyle and pump maintenance/repair and agribusiness
- Horticulture production: 30 demonstration plots and eight drip irrigation systems established for horticulture production. 1,500 people trained in good agricultural practices
- Financial inclusion: 46 of a total of 90 credit and savings groups already established, with 1,142 members (set to rise to around 2,700)
- Information dissemination: Three radio stations trained and disseminating interactive radio programs with program related content. SMS platform established and SMS disseminated regarding early warnings, price information, citizenship, employment and training opportunities, etc.
