Tete Integrated Rural Development Project

Image Tete Province is located in the central zone of Mozambique and is bordered by Zimbabwe (west), Zambia (north), Malawi (east) and the provinces of Manica and Sofala to the south. Tete Integrated Rural Development Project (IRDP) has its project office, central stores and workshop located in Tete city, whilst the field operations are managed from the sub-offices in the two district capitals in the northern part of the province. One is in Fingoe (Maravia District) and the other in Furancungo (Macanga District).

The target population in the four districts (Furancungo and Macanga in which communities are being taken through a graduation process and Chifunde and Tsangano the two new districts that LWF has recently moved into)are generally considered to be vulnerable. The Project focuses on effective production and commercialisation of agricultural produce. LWF will continue to contribute to the improvement of agricultural techniques and post-harvesting food processing as well as storage. However, the main initiative is on the promotion of alternative food and cash crops as well as facilitating the commercialisation of the same. LWF envisages is doing this facilitating: improved marketing centres; improved rural access roads; improved access to financial institutions, including banks; establishment of small irrigation schemes; increased access to agricultural implements and seeds as well as promoting agricultural Trade Fairs. LWF acknowledges that the main challenge still remains that of lobbying government and other partners to create an enabling environment to market the maize that the local household economy is unable to absorb.

LWF is committed to contributing to the improvement of health and quality of life by building strong household economies through improved food security, promotion of Human Rights and healthy lifestyles and through enhanced capacity to manage the environment. Capacity development for sustainable development is a running theme. The project implementation strategy puts a lot of stress on partnership, networking and advocacy.

The key features of the project includes the following: vulnerability assessment; community awareness, sensitisation and mobilization for action; strengthening and formation of community structures including organizational and local institution capacity building; enhanced farming technologies, including improved crop varieties and the introduction of drought resistant crops; enhanced community-managed small scale irrigation systems and small water-holding dams, including rehabilitation of existing ones; improved system of conservation and storage of agricultural products; promotion and development of skills for managing small business enterprise including a special focus on marketing of products; and Training of Trainers. HIV/AIDS prevention, control and management including mitigation of impact, promotion of the rights of women and disaster preparedness and mitigation are crosscutting issues.

Central to the approach and strategy used in implementing the Project is the promotion of the concept of Community-Driven Development (CDD). At the core of this concept is an emphasis on continued active involvement of communities in decision-making at different levels, their participation in resource mobilization and management and gradually taking on more responsibilities in managing the affairs of their own development. Within the CDD approach communities are viewed as partners rather than mere beneficiaries or recipients of services. On the other hand the role of LWF will increasingly become facilitatory. One of the critical successes factors of a viable CDD is the existence of an effective community support structure. To this extent LWF has invested heavily in strengthening and where necessary creating Community Development Committees (CDCs). Apart from being focal points for general community development, effective CDCs are already play an important monitoring and supportive supervisory role in the old districts. They are also playing a key role in technology and skills transfer as well as affording continuity to necessary support. Working very closely to CDCs are broad-based group of Activists, who were trained initially to support HIV/AIDS but whose capacity is to be strengthened to play an increasingly more active role as focal persons for development.

State President shaking hand with LWF Mozambique Tete IRDP Coordinator during his meet-the-people tour of Tete Province. The President acknowledged with thanks LWF's contribution for poverty alleviation in the Province.