Food for the Hungry Success story in Mozambique: From Shopkeeper to Horticulture Producer

Chico Cebola is a hard working farmer in his late thirties and an example of an FHI assisted farmer who has made rapid progress in increasing his family income through production and marketing of vegetable crops.

Chico was running a small shop in a village in Chueza I, a small community about 15 km south of the town of Marromeu when he decided to join one of FHI’s extension groups in 2004. At this point in time Chico had approximately three hectares of land, on which he maintained a small plot (3 by 10 m) for vegetable production (mainly tomatoes). With the encouragement and technical support of an FHI extension worker who helped him obtain vegetable seeds, expanded the size of his vegetable plot in 2005 and 2006.

When the evaluation team visited Chico in 2006 he had expanded his production to 50 by 80 m, approximately 1 acre (0.4 hectares) and was growing a diverse variety of fruit and vegetable crops including cabbage, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, lettuce, carrots, beets, and papayas. Near this vegetable plot Chico is also producing an early maturing variety of maize, with seed that he obtained through FHI.

Chico informed the evaluation team that his income in 2005 from vegetable sales was 12,000 MZM (about US$ 450). To date, in 2006, he has received 8,000 MZM (US$ 320) from vegetable sales and is expecting total sales for 2006 to exceed 15,000 MZM (US$ 600) by the end of the current growing season, and noted that he will have yet a second growing season during the year. Beyond his own labor, and that of family members, Chico has employed 8 students that work in his fields either mornings or afternoons during their off-school hours and has paid out approximately 3,000 MZM (US$ 120) to those employees. Chico minimizes input costs by using practices he has learned from FHI extension workers. Around his vegetable plots he plants onions and red peppers to repel pests. He further controls pests as needed using a homemade botanical spray made of papaya leaves, garlic, chili peppers and soap. He reports that these practices have been very effective in controlling the incidence of pests, particularly in tomato, cabbage and lettuce crops.

Chico sells a small portion of his produce on-farm to neighbors, but transports and sells the majority of his produce in the town of Marromeu. He noted that demand for vegetables is increasing in Marromeu and he is able to get a good price for them, particularly from sales to Sena Sugar factory workers.

Asked if other farmers are following his example in vegetable production Chico noted that there now approximately 30 farmers producing vegetables at small scale in the community where he lives; almost all of whom visited Chico’s vegetable plots before and after they began to practice vegetable production. Chico has freely shared seedlings for some vegetables to assist 10 of these farmers and to assist two vegetable production plots owned and operated by orphans.

Chico noted that getting this business started has not been without its challenges and said, “Some people were discouraging me, telling me that this work is too hard and that I may not succeed.” For a time he also had problems with theft from his fields, which was resolved with collaboration from community leaders who caught and arrested the thief. And his challenges continue; one current challenge is to overcome a shortage of vegetable seeds. He is seeking to overcome this problem by produce his own seed for lettuce and tomato crops, tracking expiration dates on his current seed stocks, and is trying to source seeds needed for the next season. On the other hand, Chico also says he has had a lot of support from FHI staff, his church leaders and from district government officials.

But despite the challenges, Chico remains confident and continues to have grand visions and plans. He intends to open up more plots for vegetable production, start fruit production, purchase a water pump, start poultry production, hire a tractor, and eventually buy a small car to transport his produce to market. He is taking things one step at a time, has set aside 3,000 MZM ($120) and established plans with FHI to acquire a water pump for the upcoming production season, and has already ordered a cell phone to improve his business and gain improved access to market information. In Chico’s own words, “I am very happy and never expected such a big income within short period of time.”

Chico Cebola was interviewed by Tesfaye Legesse in August 2006

Mozambique CASE STUDY

Mulinda Joia lives a few kilometers away from Gorongosa village where Domingas Manuel (FHI promoter ) works with a group of 10 mothers. She is a mother of four and her youngest child is the three year old Bungo. As from birth, Bungo had serious health problems, which included continuous diarrhea attacks, chest problems, malaria, loss of appetite and sporadic vomiting. These problems led to a loss of weight and body weaknesses. This went on until the time when FHI started with the Hearth program in Matacamachaua in 2004. According to Mulinda: “ Witchdoctors was my last hope for the cure of my child. They even stressed the point that my child was left with a few days to die. A few days later, came the FHI promoter who observed the child’s state of health. She advised me to take the child to the hospital. I also had no hope that my child would have life. The promoter registered me and my child to participate in the porridge program. He was weighed and his weight did not correspond to his age. I was advised to breastfeed Bungo, but I had no milk in my breasts. It was decided that I eat the porridge first to induce milk production in my breasts. This was done and after some days, I had enough milk to feed my child. Today, Bungo is healthy.

You can see him playing, eating porridge, solid foods and at 3, he can run around with others. This program brought life back to my child.”

According to the promoter, Domingas Manuel, Mulinda took the child to the hospital only once. After that, she participated in the Hearth enriched porridge program. The promoter had an idea that had lasting benefits for the mother and child. Instead of feeding the child with enriched porridge, the porridge was first given to his mother for 12 days. The idea was to make sure that the mother was eating a healthy diet so that she could produce enough milk for the child. This practice worked very well. Mulinda had enough milk to feed Bungo. The child was now breastfed as well as being given enriched porridge. At age one and a half years, Bungo only weighed 3 kilograms. After a month on the Hearth program, his weight increased to 5.2 kilograms. With the help of the program, Bungo started crawling, walking and at times even running. Today he is a healthy little boy and continues to breastfeed, eat porridge and mixed meals with solids like sweet potatoes, vegetables and paw-paws.

Mulinda Joia was interviewed by Derrick Kapurura on the 14th of August 2006