Why Mozambique?

Working together we can help to build our future

Ba o-bab, typical tree in Africa. It is a very slow growing tree

Quick facts:
    
Located at the southeast of Africa. Its capital is Maputo.

Bantu people settled in the area of Mozambique in 300 BC. Being good farmers propelled a population explosion and expansion. They also traded with Arabs and Asians trough the Indic Ocean.

In 1498 Vasco da Gama introduced Portugal to the Indian Ocean trade. In 1530 he established the Portuguese control of the area.

Between 1500-1700 African tribal chiefs, Arab and Portuguese sold One million slaves from Mozambique.

Communist and Independence ideas were consolidated into FRELIMO (Mozambique Liberation Front) with the help of Cuba and the Soviet Union. FRELIMO used guerrilla warfare to weaken the Portuguese power and in 1975 achieved the Mozambican independence. Internal guerrilla forces against opponents from the RENAMO party continued until 1992 when they signed a peace treaty.
       

Food market. Business and social center of the comunity.

Issues facing children in Mozambique 
(source: Unicef )

•     Food insecurity affects more than 800,000 people, or more than 4 per cent of the population. About 40 per cent of children under age five suffer from stunting as a result of chronic malnutrition. A prolonged drought has harmed crop yields in several provinces.

•     The HIV prevalence rate continues to increase; 12.2 per cent of 15- to 49-year-olds are estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS, as are more than 90,000 children under age 15. Less than 3 per cent of eligible children are receiving antiretroviral treatment.

•     About 1.5 million of Mozambique’s children are orphans. About 470,000 children have lost one or both parents to AIDS.

•     Less than 40 per cent of the country has access to basic health services, largely due to a shortage of trained medical personnel.

•     Just over 40 per cent of the population has access to clean water. Drought has forced many people to use contaminated water, increasing rates of cholera and diarrhoea.

•     Malaria, acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea and vaccine-preventable diseases claim the lives of many children.

•     Primary school enrolment rates have increased for both boys and girls, but half of all children fail to complete primary school. 

 

The Portuguese promoted the Catholic religion. 1/3 was nominally Catholic during the colony time. Most people worship or fear the spirits of ancestors (Animism).

Today there is religious freedom. The government resigned communist politics and opened to the free market.

Mozambique is one the poorest countries on Earth and is one of the fasted growing economies in the world. Mozambique is poised to become the world’s biggest exporter of coal. Water based energy and massive gas field discoveries make Mozambique a hotspot of energy. Investments are pouring in on an unprecedented scale.

Languages: The official language is Portuguese. Ethnologue lists 43 languages spoken in the country. The main language spoken in the Milange area is Chichewa.
   
Selected indicators for Mozambique:

(Source: Bank of Mozambique, IMF, and World Bank. Year 2006-2008)

•    Under-5 mortality rate: 13.8%
•    Life expectancy at birth: 43 years
•    Physicians per 1000 people: 0.03
•    Immunization DPT and measles: 72% and 77%
•    Access to improved water sources: 48%
•    Access to sanitation facilities: 31%