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How ForAfrika’s integrated approach is tackling food insecurity in Chemba, Mozambique

What does a weather phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean, have to do with the Chemba district of central Mozambique? One would assume the answer to be “very little,” however the reality is that the impact of El Niño, is affecting the livelihood of thousands of people in Mozambique.

What does a weather phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean, have to do with the Chemba district of central Mozambique? One would assume the answer to be “very little,” however the reality is that the impact of El Niño, is affecting the livelihood of thousands of people in Mozambique.

Chemba, home to around 83,257 people (according to the Census 2017), has faced one of the harshest recorded droughts in recent years. When the ForAfrika team first arrived, the scene was heartbreaking.

“People had nothing to eat. Due to the financial hardship of many households in Chemba, many families have been compelled to sell their animals to earn money to purchase food and meet other essential needs. Some people were surviving primarily on wild fruits.”

“Unfortunately, the shortage of adequate and nutritious food has adversely impacted the nutritional health of children in these areas”, notes Alcidio Pangaia, ForAfrika’s Regional Manager for Sofala Province.

In 2025, ForAfrika continues to uphold its commitment to fight famine in Mozambique - a commitment that has guided our work since 1984.

ForAfrika’s work in Chemba has contributed to reducing the impact of food insecurity faced by the communities of Mulima village in Chemba.

A complex challenge that demands an integrated response

Hunger cannot wait. Yet, addressing food insecurity requires more than emergency aid; it must lay the foundation to a stronger and more resilient food system. Together with the Government of Mozambique and the World Food Programme, ForAfrika is implementing a project that ensures that women have opportunities to grow nutritious foods for themselves and their families in Chemba district.

One of the immediate outcomes of the project is an increased availability of diverse and nutritious foods through agricultural investments while ensuring women have equitable access to resources and opportunities.

“Before this project, I used to wake up not knowing if we would eat that day,” recalls Lazia Muadzangasse. “Now, we work together, we plant, and we see hope growing again.”

Lazia Muadzangasse displays some of the tomatoes she picked that morning.

Lazia Muadzangasse, a 25-year-old beneficiary of the GTNS 2.0 project, lives with her husband, Samuel Limpo, and their daughter in Chemba District.

Before this project, severe drought and hunger made daily survival uncertain. Lazia recalls, “We used to wake up not knowing if we’d eat that day. But now, thanks to ForAfrika, we have food!”

“My family produced maize and cowpeas and through my group’s horticultural field, we have grown tomatoes, onions, lettuce, kale, cabbage, cucumbers, beets, okra, and carrots.”

Teaching women to farm through adversity

Launched in 2024, the project was designed to help ensure that women had the ability to grow food for themselves and their families, strengthening community resilience particularly in terms of extreme weather events. The project’s integrated approach combines agriculture, livestock farming, and nutrition, ensuring both immediate relief and long-term sustainability.

When the project began, the soil was dry and weather-resilient agricultural knowledge limited. Training sessions were introduced to help farmers improve production techniques, manage their livestock, and equip them with information necessary to make better decisions by combining weather data with local farming knowledge through training on PICSA (Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture).

But knowledge was not enough. Due to financial constraints, many had no money to buy improved seeds. ForAfrika distributed agricultural inputs, ensuring that every beneficiary could start the new planting season prepared.

Inputs handed to individual beneficiaries / households Food Produced
Maize Maize
Cowpeas Cowpeas
Sorghum Sorghum

Nourishing bodies and futures

With malnutrition still widespread, the project aims to establish community kitchens as safe spaces where balanced meals will be prepared for their children under the age of two.

Building resilience

Addressing Chemba’s food insecurity will take time. But hope is growing alongside the crops. Through continuous monitoring, hands-on engagement, and close cooperation with local authorities, ForAfrika ensures that the project remains adaptive and responsive to community needs.

Extreme weather events may return, but the people of Chemba are no longer facing them alone. They now have the knowledge, tools, and confidence to withstand future shocks and to plant the seeds of prosperity for generations to come.

“We cannot stop extreme weather events,” says the project coordinator. “But we can make sure Chemba’s families are prepared to withstand them.”

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© 2025 | For Afrika to Thrive (Registration Number: 2010/025117/10) is a multi-national public charity with a global reach. We have affiliate offices in:
• South Africa (ForAfrika South Africa NPC, Registration Number: 1983/011022/08, NPO Number: 052-455-NPO, PBO Number: 130000144)
• United Kingdom (ForAfrika UK, England and Wales Registered Charity Number: 1050992, Scotland: SC043643)
• USA (ForAfrika USA, EIN: 38-2726350)
• Canada (Canada ForAfrika, Charity Number: 865982573 RR 0001)
• Germany (ForAfrika Deutschland e.V., Tax Number: 99019/38930)
• Switzerland (Stiftung Schweiz ForAfrika, Registration Number: CHE-114.509.322)
• Australia (ForAfrika Ltd, Registration Number: 651 493 980)
• Norway (ForAfrika Norge, Registration Number: 828 055 232)

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