Mozambique, on the eastern coast of southern Africa, gained independence from Portugal in 1975. A 16-year civil war ensued, destroying lives, livelihoods and infrastructure. Since the signing of the 1992 Peace Agreement, Mozambique has been viewed as one of Africa’s most successful stories of post-war reconstruction and economic recovery.
Yet a complex mix of recurrent droughts, floods and HIV keeps Mozambique near the bottom of the world’s development tables. Infrastructure has been slow to develop following the destruction of the war, especially roads to reach the rural areas. Poor infrastructure makes goals to improve basic needs, such as water and sanitation and health education, difficult to achieve.
Major floods, such as the widespread disasters of 2000 and 2008, tend to be concentrated in the central and southern regions of the country. Meanwhile, pockets of droughts are found in the provinces of Gaza and Tete. Mozambique is also vulnerable to natural hazards such as cyclones or bush fires, which destroy homes and livelihoods.
Other causes of poverty in Mozambique include gender inequality and high rates of illiteracy, because people have limited access to education and a historical lack of appreciation of its worth. Many church leaders are poor themselves, and have never learnt to read or write. One researcher described the church in Mozambique as a ‘dry canal’, meaning that as much as the church wants to help others, it also needs help itself.