Building Peace and Prosperity in Mozambique: Year four highlights from the Gorongosa Peace Project
Now in its fourth year, the Gorongosa Peace Project continues to transform lives across central Mozambique through education, health, agriculture, and gender equity initiatives. Originally launched to promote reconciliation and community resilience in areas affected by conflict, the project is producing measurable results that underscore its long-term impact.
Education: Literacy, Leadership, and Lifelong Learning
Literacy targets were surpassed in year four, with 96% of grade 7 students demonstrating core literacy and numeracy skills—well above the 80% goal. Total student enrollment reached 3,012, with girls making up nearly 46% of learners. Over four years, 8,614 students have benefited, including nearly 4,000 girls.
The project’s support for’ education is noteworthy: 300 students participated in Girls Clubs, 62 joined Youth Clubs, and 20 girls received scholarships—all of whom successfully advanced to the next school level. Two new Distance Learning Centres now serve 175 learners, including children from ex-combatant families, with one center powered by solar energy.
Community engagement remains strong, with 180 residents participating in dialogue sessions on child protection and early marriage, and 42 madrinhas and padrinhos supporting schools. Meanwhile, 94 teachers received refresher training, and 553 young people—including 180 from ex-combatant families—joined Peace Clubs.
Health: Expanding Access and Changing Behaviors
The project’s health initiatives reached over 28,000 people this year through home visits and outreach campaigns on hygiene and sanitation. Youth engagement was a standout success, with 2,429 adolescents—35% above target—accessing youth-friendly health services supported by peer educators and theater-based education.
Mobile health brigades brought critical services, such as immunizations and prenatal care, to 17 locations, reaching more than 4,700 people. Traditional Birth Attendants conducted 1,543 home visits and helped ensure 680 safe institutional deliveries. Nutrition programs reached 7,200 individuals, while targeted interventions supported 166 malnourished children.
To ensure sustainability, the project strengthened community health systems through monthly training, data reviews, and integrated services like seed distribution and home gardening.
Agriculture: Growing Food Security and Livelihoods
Agriculture exceeded expectations, engaging 1,647 farmers—including 56 ex-combatants—in value chains such as cashew and honey. Cashew farming now includes 1,550 producers supported by training, seedling distribution, and market access.
Women’s participation was a major focus, with 50 women receiving modern beekeeping kits and training, and 26 starting honey businesses. Sixty-six women-led enterprises received support, contributing to income and productivity gains of 14% among targeted farmers.
Skills training expanded with 48 people taught carpentry to support beekeeping infrastructure, and three women artisans participated in a market visit to Inhambane. Climate-smart agriculture and financial inclusion were promoted via 62 demonstration plots in 13 communities.
Women’s Empowerment: Leadership, Livelihoods, and Voice
The project expanded savings groups from 12 to 22, involving over 600 members—most of them women—in financial literacy, governance, and entrepreneurship. Infrastructure investments included a large greenhouse, a vermicomposting initiative, and the construction of an agri-hub to support 462 farmers.
Women are increasingly central to community decision-making, with 192 participating in natural resource management and livelihood training. Eleven Women’s Development Committees were established or strengthened to enhance women’s leadership.
Capacity building within the Gorongosa Restoration Project (GRP) itself was prioritized: 44 staff were trained in gender-based violence prevention and gender policy, as well as monitoring and evaluation practices to ensure effective, data-driven programming.
From classrooms to clinics, farms to leadership councils, the Gorongosa Peace Project is proving that community-driven development can pave the way for lasting peace and opportunity. As the project moves into its fifth year, the foundation has been laid for even deeper impact and stronger communities.