Update from Mozambique | Cyclone Recovery Efforts & Water System Progress
Following the cyclone that struck the region around Bilibiza, Mozambique this past April, residents have returned to rebuild their homes and are beginning to resume
Note: due to the ongoing security crisis in the region Water1st has suspended our Mozambique program until further notice.
Water1st is proud to support Grupo de Saneamento de Bilibiza (GSB) in Mozambique, where 80% of the population lacks access to water and toilets. Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking 180th out of 189 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index.
We began working with GSB in 2017. Our efforts are focused in the Cabo Delgado province, an isolated region located in the far north. Prior to GSB’s relationship with Water1st, they had completed a number of small-scale water projects and coordinated farmer co-ops. Their community-based co-op model had all the characteristics we like to see in a local water committee. GSB showed considerable interest in providing household water connections and pour-flush toilets, not simply latrines. For these reasons we chose to support GSB as our newest partner.
ABOUT MOZAMBIQUE*
Population: 29,670,000
% living on less than $1.90/day: 63%
% without access to clean water: 80%
Partner: Grupo de
Saneamento de Bilibiza
COMPLETED PROJECTS
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Our hearts are with our partner GSB
On the heels of our report of Cyclone Kenneth, the most powerful tropical storm ever recorded off the coast of Africa in 2019, we are devastated to report even greater destruction inflicted upon the people of Cabo Delgado at the hands of a well-organized cell of extremists. When Water1st embarked on a partnership with GSB during the summer of 2017, the region was peaceful and the need for clean water was great.
On October 22, 2017, an armed group attacked a police station in a small town several hours north of our project area. This was the first act of aggression by an emerging radical group seeking a complete overthrow of the present political structure. Over two years, the attacks gradually increased in frequency, geographical scale, and deadliness. Mozambique’s government demonstrated very little interest in curtailing the violence. In early 2020, the attacks evolved into something resembling a civil war, with the violent extremists moving at will through the region, occupying entire Districts.
On January 29th, the extremists reached the Water1st project communities and burned the villages to the ground. The residents were warned that the insurgents were approaching, so they abandoned the town and no casualties were reported. Very few residents have returned to their homes and the government has not taken effective actions to secure the territory or drive out the insurgents. For the time being, the area is a war zone and all development activities have come to a standstill.
Until the government of Mozambique takes seriously its responsibility to provide a safe environment for the people of Cabo Delgado, residents cannot return to rebuild their homes and resume their lives; and Water1st is unable to continue operating in the region. We are still reeling over this devastating news as photos and information slowly trickle in. Our hearts are with our partner, GSB, and the communities of Bilibiza and Dezanove.
Poor sanitation conditions, lack of toilets, open defecation, and lack of water sources has resulted in unhygienic environments, fueling the spread of water and sanitation-related diseases, and contributing to high child and maternal mortality rates. Less than 2% of the Quissanga district population has access to piped water and 77% do not have sanitary toilets or latrines. Water sources range from poorly-sealed shallow wells to ponds and rivers, with women and girls fetching water more than 8 kilometers from their homes.
Approximately 90% of the Quissanga population practice subsistence agriculture. Markets for agricultural products are limited, making it difficult for families to generate income. In response to this challenge, GSB has formed farmers’ co-ops to increase productivity and shift cultivation to more marketable products. Even with assistance from GSB, farmers are still earning less than $1,000 per year.
Following the cyclone that struck the region around Bilibiza, Mozambique this past April, residents have returned to rebuild their homes and are beginning to resume
On April 25, 2019, Cyclone Kenneth, the most powerful tropical storm ever to make landfall in Africa, made a direct hit to the region where
Water has been flowing for over a year now in the community of 19 de Outubro, Mozambique and hope is in the air. An important