SEPTEMBER 26, 2006

AWFFI Successes in Mozambique

By Sanaz Memarsadeghi, AWFFI Program Officer

I spent last week working with the The Hunger Project (THP) staff in Mozambique and visiting our two epicenters at Macarretane/Chokwe and Munguíne/Manhica. Mozambique is a unique Africa program country in that the existence of the AWFFI program predated the epicenter strategy. While AWFFI has been operating in Mozambique under the leadership of Ms. Ana Sumbana since 2001, it is only this year that the epicenter strategy has been initiated under the leadership of a Country Director.


Chokwe Epicenter

Macarretane is an entirely new zone for THP and for AWFFI. I had the opportunity to meet with both the women’s and men’s loan committees and to talk with members of the two women’s groups and three men’s groups who received their first loans during the second quarter. Two more women’s groups have been trained and are ready to receive loans in the coming month. Loan group members are very excited about their partnership with THP and their participation in the microfinance program. One of the female partners explained to me that she is using her loan to produce charcoal, while a male loan recipient explained that he is using his loan to stock his stall, where he sells rice, sugar, cold drinks, biscuits, coffee, oil, etc. Both of these individuals received loans worth about $150 for a six-month term and have already begun making their savings and loan repayments with their fellow group members.
 

Meeting with Loan Committee at Manhica Epicenter.

The partners in Munguine/Manhica, however, are not new to AWFFI. It is actually a former AWFFI site, and there are partners who have been working with Ms. Sumbana since 2001. All 16 of the veteran women's loan groups have repaid all loans taken at a rate of 100%. Recently, eight new groups have been trained and have received loans, bringing the total number of loan groups to 24. When I met with the loan committee, the members proudly explained to me the improvements that they have made in their life, including sending their children to school and purchasing school uniforms, improving their houses, and purchasing land titles for their farm land and their homes.


AWFFI partners at Manhica Epicenter.

At both of the epicenters, the microfinance program will be expanding into additional partner villages. During the next quarter, the AWFFI staff will be assisting partner villages to set-up their own village loan committees. Once these proper structures are in place, Ms. Sumbana may begin training and disbursing loans to even more new groups.