World Hunger Day raise awareness about and end hunger, poverty and gender inequality throughout the world. In 2019, we’re working with local partners to set up gardens in 3 schools in Mozambique, alongside a safe water point and sanitation facilities, to improve the diet, school attendance and overall health of pupils whilst also training them in sustainable agriculture – skills they can use for life.

Rural populations in Zambia and Mozambique are both far bigger than those living in urban areas, with fewer income-generating opportunities available many families are reliant on farming as their main source of income.

Having easy access to safe water is particularly helpful for the rural farming communities as it reduces their time spent collecting water, allowing them to spend more time farming, and decreases their chances of contracting waterborne diseases, giving them more time and energy to carry out farming activities efficiently.

Crop farming is also vital for keeping the communities nourished and making sure everyone has enough to eat as well as producing crops to sell.

Now with a water pump nearby we don’t have to wake up as early to collect water, and so we are back in time to do farm work.

The water pump installed in June 2018, in Amelia Zuca’s village transformed her life.

Not having to spend the whole day collecting water means she has time to farm, learn more about how best to use her land and produce and higher yield of crops to sell. Earning a higher income means she can improve her home and send her children or grandchildren to school.

Cyclone Idai has been described by the UN as “one of the deadliest storms on record in the southern hemisphere”. In its aftermath, Mozambique is battling to avoid a hunger crisis due to 1.7 million acres of farmland being wiped out, leaving farmers without crops and therefore the country without its primary food source.

In this crucial period, it is important that the villages have access to water in order to replant crops and regain their livelihoods and food security which they depend on for survival.

Read more about our work in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai here.

Figures and facts from: CARE International (2019) Cyclone Idai one month on: Menstrual hygiene becomes a silent need as cholera outbreak fears persist, available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/mozambique/cyclone-idai-one-month-menstrual-hygiene-becomes-silent-need-cholera-outbreak
CARE International (2019)  Cyclone Idai one month on: Food shortages outpacing funding, available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/mozambique/cyclone-idai-one-month-food-shortages-outpacing-funding
HDR (2018a) Human Development Indicators: Zambia, available at:http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/ZMB
HDR (2018b) Human Development Indicators: Mozambique, available at:http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/MOZ
McCarthy, J. (2019) Hunger Looms in Mozambique After Cyclone Idai Wiped Out 1.7 Million Acres of Farmland, available at:https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/hunger-crisis-mozambique/
WFP (2018c) Relatório – food Security and Nutrition Challenges, available at:https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP-0000019827/download/?_ga=2.93810142.23206707.1558606845-753527195.1558606845
World Bank (2019) Statement on High-Level Meeting on Humanitarian and Recovery Efforts Following Cyclone Idai, available at: http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/statement/2019/04/11/statement-on-high-level-meeting-on-humanitarian-and-recovery-efforts-following-cyclone-idai