Mozambique: Azada Verde Develops Food Provisioning Through Agro-ecology.
Through water-supply initiatives, agricultural associations, helpful student nutrition programs, and special responses for vulnerable children, Azada Verde uses agro-ecology to harmonize people’s needs with nature’s sustainability.
Since 2017, the NGO called Azada Verde (“Green Plow”) has successfully implemented international development cooperation projects with a very clear objective: promote food sovereignty in Mozambique. Most of the organization’s efforts have focused on the province of Sofala, located in the center of the country. The work of Azada Verde is even more important now as the country struggles to recoup food shortages from the nearly 2 million acres of crops which were destroyed by the 2019 Cyclone Idai.
Creativity and innovation hallmark Azada Verde’s operations. For example, the use of bici-pumps provides a low-cost, high-impact solution that guarantees that, just by peddling a bike, impoverished families will have access to water. Next year, regular pumps in villages will be replaced by photovoltaic pumps to ensure a green solution that provides much-needed water while avoiding atmospheric CO2 emissions. The environment is additionally helped by using 50% recycled materials in the construction of all bici-pumps.
To improve agricultural production, increase income, provide crop diversity, and train farmers, Azada Verde hosts agricultural associations which bring farmers together for instruction and informational exchanges. Special outreaches are made to women so their talents can yield financial support for the family as well as personal financial independence.
An ambitious child nutrition program is underway. This program will provide three meals a day to more than 2,200 under-nourished children in rural areas of Sofala. Cooperating partners at boarding schools will work with Azada Verde to ensure the critical nutritional needs of children are adequately met. Medical science underscores the importance of such food programs: proper cognitive development in youth is nutrition dependent. Brain impairment caused by childhood malnutrition cannot be ameliorated later in life. It is for this reason, childhood nutrition programs are so important.
Update
La Salle International collaborated with Azada Verde in its efforts to help develop food provisioning for Mozambique. Contributions helped Azada Verde create more water development programs, ensure children’s nutrition, and form agricultural associations which promote women empowerment and agro-ecological solutions to Mozambique’s food-insecure populations.