Mozambique

Our impact

Context

In Mozambique, particularly in the rural provinces of Maputo and Gaza, a large share of households depend on family farming. Communities face major challenges: recurrent droughts, multidimensional poverty, limited access to markets and services, remoteness of administrative services, and high risks related to land rights. Rural women face restrictive social norms and limited access to productive resources (land, inputs, credit), as well as high risks related to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), which hinders their economic empowerment and participation in governance.

Objectives and expected results

  • Strengthen the economic empowerment of women, especially young women, who are members of agricultural associations affiliated with UNAC.
  • Increase women’s access, use and control over economic and productive resources (land, inputs, finance, equipment) in a context of climate change.
  • Develop climate-adapted income-generating activities through climate-smart agriculture and agroforestry experimentation.
  • Strengthen the performance of UNAC, associations and co-operatives so they provide competitive services and products that meet women’s needs and address climate challenges.
  • Support the creation and consolidation of modern co-operatives (CoopDASI and CoopDAZA) in promising value chains: sweet potato, beans, onion, garlic and piri-piri.
  • Transform social norms by mobilizing women, men and youth around gender equality, women’s leadership, the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV), and SRHR issues (HIV/AIDS, early marriage and pregnancy, and the importance of girls’ education).
  • Strengthen the capacities of public institutions and civil society to disseminate an inclusive and resilient co-operative model, with the ambition of scaling up within UNAC’s network (2,500 associations and 145,000 rural households).

Sectors of activity

  • Sustainable agriculture and climate-smart agriculture
  • Agricultural value chains: sweet potato, beans, onion, garlic, piri-piri
  • Co-operative development: governance, management, accounting, member services, PerformCoop
  • Financial inclusion and access to productive resources
  • Gender equality, women’s leadership, engaging men, GBV prevention
  • Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
  • Climate, environment and resilience: soil management, responsible inputs, integrated pest management, compost/organic fertilizers
  • Institutional strengthening: ministries, decentralized services, sector platforms (NETCOOP)
  • Land rights: awareness-raising and support for securing DUAT land-use rights

Results and impacts

Capacity building and climate-smart practices

  • 2,931 beneficiaries graduated from Socodevi’s Farmer Field Schools (≈ 98% of the target).
  • 18 training modules developed and delivered to 99 associations, supported by 81 demonstration plots and seed multiplication fields.
  • Promotion of sustainable practices: soil conservation, pesticide management, plastic waste reduction, compost/organic fertilizers, integrated pest management (ToT).
  • Establishment of an early warning communication system with the National Meteorology Institute.
  • Collaboration with SourceCode and SIMA Digital to improve agro-climatic forecasting and market planning.
  • Creation of environmental committees within the co-operatives and launch of impact assessments for light infrastructure.

Gender equality, leadership and participation

  • Mandatory sessions integrating gender equality, inclusive governance, environmental practices and co-operative development.
  • Over 300 women strengthened their leadership, decision-making and communication skills.
  • 692 men participated in engagement and positive masculinity sessions; radio broadcasts reached 3,000+ community members.
  • Both co-operatives strengthened women’s leadership, including the re-election of women presidents and the creation of youth/education committees.

Co-operative development and economic performance

  • CoopDASI and CoopDAZA developed and implemented business plans and support plans (PerformCoop) for priority value chains.
  • General assemblies held (439 members) and 15 management tools disseminated, exceeding annual and final targets.
  • Recruitment of key staff (managers, technicians, accountants) and strengthened inter co-operation between both co-operatives.

Land rights and closer public services

  • Awareness-raising on securing land-use and exploitation rights (DUAT).
  • Introduction of a major innovation: the Local Services Fair, bringing essential administrative services (ID documents, tax card) closer to rural populations.

Testimonials

“ I want to say to all women like me: never give up. Sometimes, all it takes is an opportunity like PAEF and CoopDAZA to show our strength. To donors, I say: keep investing in women. ”

  • Maria Sauleta
    Active member of CoopDAZA

“ I will never give up farming, because I love it. Thanks to the co-operative, after the last floods, we received support to prepare the land again and continue producing. ”

  • Ana Fazenda
    Active member of CoopDASI

Projects in Mozambique

PAEF

The Economic Empowerment of Rural Women in Mozambique project (PAEF), led by Socodevi, aims to improve the living conditions of more than 15,000 people—primarily women and their families—living in rural areas in the provinces of Maputo and Gaza. The project uses a multidimensional approach that connects economic, social, and health issues. It addresses barriers to […]
  • Funded by:
    Global Affairs Canada
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Partners

Funders and co-financiers

  • Funder: Global Affairs Canada
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Contact

Mozambique Office
Bairro da Sommershield,
Rua João de Barros nº 305,
Cidade de Maputo
(+258) 85 525 6273

Countries where we work

Peru

In Peru, Socodevi works in territories where rural families face multiple challenges: economic vulnerability, limited access to markets and services, persistent gender inequalities, climate and environmental pressures, and—in some regions—socio-economic impacts linked to extractive activities. In this context, our interventions aim to strengthen the capacity of families and collective organizations to build sustainable and competitive […]

Learn more

Ghana

Since 2018, Socodevi has been working in Ghana to strengthen the inclusive and sustainable development of agricultural co-operatives. Through structuring projects in the rice and cocoa value chains, the organization supports the empowerment of women and youth, improved co-operative governance, access to markets and financial services, as well as strengthened livelihoods and resilience to climate […]

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Colombia

In Colombia, Socodevi has been supporting for more than a decade the professionalization of rural economic organizations, the upgrading of the cocoa value chain, and the strengthening of agricultural and financial services, with a consistent focus on gender equality and the inclusion of Indigenous peoples. Our interventions cover the entire value chain—from inputs and production […]

  • Funded by:
    Global Affairs Canada
Learn more
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