Tag Archives: DELPAZ

Smartphone and chickens

Mr Artur Mainato Randim no longer wants to hear about the war. Time has helped him forget the terrible days and now he just wants to think about his farm and look to the future. He is one of the DDR, the people who entered the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programme, the result of the Maputo peace agreement signed in 2019.

Mr Artur lives in the Missoche community in the Dôa district of Tete province.

In the past, he produced maize, peanuts, butter beans and nehmba, banana trees and sugar cane. But his dream was to grow tomatoes and cabbage.

With the arrival of DELPAZ – the Mozambican government programme funded by the European Union – in the Dôa district, his dream came true.

Through the SEPPA Foundation – a member of the consortium working with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) – he received cabbage, tomato and bean seeds. In addition, they received training to produce these vegetables on their 9800 square metre field.

The harvest was generous and with the sale of the vegetables, Mr Artur was also able to buy a smartphone and five chickens.Now let’s get to work. He plans to increase the production area to two hectares and grow cabbage, kale, carrots and onions in the second season of the current year.

“I really hope that DELPAZ lasts here because it has brought so many benefits to our community,” says Mr Artur with conviction, whose dream now is to become a model farmer and even set an example for the whole community.

Reflections and aspirations: the voices of DELPAZ beneficiaries in the provinces of Tete, Sofala and Manica

While the political scene in Maputo is fervently discussing the possibility of a National Reintegration Plan, stimulating an in-depth dialogue between the authorities and civil society, a path towards tangible change is already being taken in the provinces of Manica, Tete and Sofala. These steps, taken with determination, have already produced results that deserve to be supported and can constitute a solid starting point. However, the solution lies not only in policies and action plans, but above all in the direct experience and authentic voices of the protagonists of this transformation.

On 21 and 22 March, the International Conference on Post-Conflict Reintegration was held in Maputo, promoted by the Institute for Multiparty Democracy (IMD), under the high patronage of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Combatants and the Secretariat for Peace (PPS). Among the participants, from the provinces of Tete, Sofala and Manica, the vibrant voices of Florinda, Rita, Mário, Graça, Anita, Isabel, Carménia and Carlota stood out.

For many of them, it was their first time in Maputo and they brought with them a message full of hope and urgency: “We want peace,” they declared emphatically. “We want to work the land, we are peasants. We want to grow our own food, send our children to school. We want to live in peace and for that we need your help.” Their words resonate with a palpable urgency, as they reflect essential needs: access to water, infrastructure, roads, markets, hospitals and schools.

The experiences recounted during the conference were moving and enlightening. Anita, her eyes still incredulous, commented on the sight of the abundance of water in Maputo’s hotels, contrasting it with the reality of her community, where water is a precious commodity that can only be reached after long journeys. Mário, impressed by the grandeur and vibrancy of the capital, thanked DELPAZ for bringing the borehole to his community and new agricultural practices, along with seeds and tools, expressing the importance of extending this type of project to all communities in need.

Florinda shared a feeling of gratitude and recognition: “We were nothing, but now we’re here talking and you’re listening to us. DELPAZ has made us visible.” These testimonies are a tangible reflection of the work done by DELPAZ, also evidenced by the distribution of the Declaration of Inhanzónia, a symbol of solidarity and inclusion promoted through the organisation of the solidarity camp in November last year in the Báruè district.

The role of women as local actors and leaders was particularly emphasised, with Carlota Inhamussua, an active DELPAZ Programme collaborator in Sofala Province, sharing significant experiences such as the savings project and the dream box. These activities aim not only to make tangible resources available, but also to stimulate the dreams and objectives of the communities involved, strengthening trust and people’s sense of belonging to their communities.

The road to peace and prosperity requires a collective and sustained commitment. When these communities begin to take the first steps towards change, it is crucial that they are not left on their own. They need time, support and resources to grow and continue to cultivate peace in their territories. Only through a shared commitment and lasting solidarity can a future of hope and prosperity be guaranteed for all Mozambican communities.

All of them demanded loudly not to be left alone, now that they are starting to ‘crawl’ and need more time and support so that they can ‘grow up’ and continue to cultivate peace in their communities.

DELPAZ, in partnership with the IMD, implemented by the AICS in Manica and Tete, and by the ADA in Sofala, with the support of the UNCFD, also contributes to this. In addition to water, infrastructure, access roads, seeds and new agricultural practices, it has stimulated the dreams of the communities most affected by armed violence, where DDR beneficiaries have returned to live together with their families.

As repeatedly expressed by the EU Ambassador to Mozambique, Antonino Maggiore, “As Mozambique’s partners, we are fully aware of the challenges we face in terms of reintegration and reconciliation; […] Peace and reconciliation can only be achieved through a thriving democracy and prosperity for the benefit of all Mozambican citizens.”

Lurdes, a former combatant who fed a company, now produces to grow her children

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Lurdes António, 68, didn’t have access to formal education in her childhood, like most women in rural Mozambique at that time. She was recruited to the Minga base of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) in 1982, at the age of 26. She underwent military training in Mandie, in the district of Guro, in the province of Manica.

At the height of the civil war, she spent time at five military bases belonging to the guerrillas, producing food in the civilian and military fields and cooking for the company, where she later met her husband, also a former guerrilla.

“My job was to carry the soldiers’ luggage and cook for them on their missions. If they told us we were going somewhere, we just carried their luggage and went on, and once the programme was over – whether it was reconnaissance or an attack – we returned. Then they’d send us home and we’d be called up when there was a new programme,” she says.

Drought and severe famine hit Mozambique at the end of the 1980s, and “terrible suffering” shook her company when she and her husband decided to abandon the war and travel to settle in Nhamadjiua, in the administrative post of Nhampassa, in the district of Barué, Manica province, where they were later demobilised with the end of the war in 1992.

“In 2012 we once again answered ‘the call of the revolution’, summoned by the historic leader Afonso Dhlakama,” who had already been denouncing serious flaws in the implementation of the Rome General Peace Agreement (GPA).

Lurdes António was demobilised again with her husband in 2021, as part of the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) process of the former Renamo guerrillas in Barué.

Since then she has dedicated herself to farming and has learned new agricultural techniques introduced with the DELPAZ Programme, which is ensuring the economic and social reintegration of all ex-combatants, their families and rural communities affected by the conflict in order to achieve lasting peace in Mozambique.

“DELPAZ has come and is teaching us. We used to grow crops in a rudimentary way, with traditional seeds, and we had a lot of losses, but now we’re using improved agricultural techniques, we use lines for the pits when sowing, and we already have income to educate our children,” she explains, thrilled with her new achievements.

 

 

Investing in women: accelerating progress

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On the day on which International Women’s Day is celebrated all over the world, we want to recall the message launched by Amélia Andalusa, from Dunda, Macossa district, in the province of Manica, during the first women’s camp organised by the DELPAZ Programme last November: “Conflict is a trauma for women, in every part of our lives. But now we want to continue to live in peace and we want to be emancipated, to do agriculture, small businesses, raise animals, we also know that there is digital economic emancipation, where we can use our phones to trade”.

This year, in fact, the International Women’s Day 2024 focuses on the crucial theme of ‘Investing in Women: Accelerating Progress’.[i] An opportunity to reflect on the importance of ensuring the rights of women and girls in all spheres of life, recognising that this not only fuels prosperous and just economies, but also helps to preserve a healthy planet for future generations.

The UNWomen report highlights that achieving gender equality in the Sustainable Development Goals requires USD 360 billion per year.[ii] However, the focus must not be limited to increasing funding, but also to reforming institutions at all levels so that the promotion of women’s empowerment becomes a political priority and an essential public investment.

To ‘accelerate progress’, UNWomen emphasises the need to ensure women’s access to financial resources, land, information, and technology. [iii]Promoting decent and sustainable employment, recognising the value of women’s care work, combating gender-based violence and promoting women’s participation in all decision-making processes are key actions.

The DELPAZ programme, an EU-funded Mozambican government programme, managed in collaboration with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), and the Austrian cooperation agency (ADA), and implemented by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) in the Provinces of Manica and Tete, and ADA in Sofala Province, is committed to translating these principles into concrete actions. Working closely with local institutions, DELPAZ promotes investments in public infrastructure to reduce inequalities in access to resources and improve women’s empowerment.

DELPAZ takes an inclusive approach, working on raising community awareness about peacebuilding, social inclusion and combating gender-based violence. And it does so by starting with voices, points of view, the creation of spaces for women – fundamental elements of women’s agency. DELPAZ is also committed to creating self-employment opportunities through vocational training courses and support for micro-enterprise start-ups, with a focus on women’s economic empowerment.

A tangible example of DELPAZ’s commitment is the Solidarity Camp in the Báruè District, Manica Province, organized in November 2023. This collective practice promotes solidarity, inclusion, and diversity, strengthening the role of women as local actors and building their leadership. Through these camps, women actively participate in decision-making processes, identify vulnerabilities and needs, and build concrete alternatives supported by the programme. Thus, we want to celebrate this 8 March 2024 by sharing the Declaration drafted by the women and men who participated in the Solidarity Camp.

On the day, Amélia Andalusa was very clear: ‘We already have our savings group and we need to raise awareness of other women. That’s why we want more camps like this! They should be organised in all districts, replicated and held in the communities, because that’s how we empower women and also men.”

AICS intensifies its efforts through initiatives focused on women’s access to financial resources, land and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Projects such as ‘Coding Girls’ aim to enhance women’s skills, opening up new opportunities for access to decent jobs in ICTs. Furthermore, initiatives such as ‘As Mulheres do SUSTENTA’ contribute concretely to the promotion of equal participation and leadership of women in rural areas.

The commitment of AICS to the DELPAZ Programme, reflects a holistic and targeted approach to addressing gender inequalities, providing concrete and sustainable solutions to ensure the well-being and empowerment of women in 2024 and beyond.

[i]  https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/announcement/2023/12/international-womens-day-2024-invest-in-women-accelerate-progress

[ii]  https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2023/09/progress-on-the-sustainable-development-goals-the-gender-snapshot-2023

[iii] https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/explainer/2024/02/five-things-to-accelerate-womens-economic-empowerment