Mozambique's Poorest Villages Struggle as Aid Cuts Deepen Community Crisis
In the heart of northern Mozambique, community groups are fighting an uphill battle to improve lives in some of the country's most impoverished villages, even as severe international aid cuts threaten to undermine their vital work. Harry Johnstone reports from the ground, where locals describe feeling as though their feet are being cut off amidst shrinking resources and growing needs.
Local Efforts Amidst Global Reductions
Marques Joao navigates a towering pile of plastic waste outside his workplace in Cabo Delgado province, meticulously collecting brown bottles for recycling. He works for ASMOG, a community organisation dedicated to gathering plastic and selling it to recycling companies. Eugidio Gobo, who leads ASMOG in the Pemba municipality, explains that the government does not handle plastic recycling, leaving groups like his to tackle the 130 tonnes generated monthly, with ASMOG collecting about ten tonnes, primarily from beaches. This local initiative aims to create positive change, but it operates in an increasingly challenging environment.
Cabo Delgado, located 1,500 miles north of Maputo, is one of Mozambique's poorest regions, battered annually by cyclones intensified by climate change and torn apart by an Isis-linked insurgency that has displaced 700,000 people since 2017. As needs escalate, international aid is contracting, placing immense strain on community groups that serve as lifelines for vulnerable populations.
The Impact of Aid Cuts on Democracy and Rights
Abdul Tavares of CDD, a democracy and rights-focused organisation, voices the frustration felt by many: "I feel like our feet are being cut off." His group, which previously funded business cooperatives, legal assistance, and public policy advocacy, has been forced to downsize to a smaller office in Pemba due to slashed aid from countries like the US and UK. Without these resources, essential activities have ground to a halt.
Globally, Mozambique ranks among the nations most affected by international aid reductions. US funding alone plummeted from $820 million in 2024 to $240 million last year, following Donald Trump's effective shutdown of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Bashiruna Bakar from the village of 25 de Junho in Cabo Delgado recalls how USAID once supported healthcare, farming, and food initiatives, but now, "the farmers are crying... There is no food."
Grassroots Resilience and Development
Despite these setbacks, Bakar finds glimmers of hope. Walking to the edge of his village, he points to a sturdy grey house made of breeze blocks, owned by one of the 9,000 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) who have settled there. This structure symbolises both inclusion and prosperity, made possible through the 25 de Junho Village Development Organisation (VDO). Bakar explains that three months after the IDPs arrived, farmers allocated them land, a decision rooted in common humanity rather than religious or political divides.
In an old school building, Bakar shows off the village's "dream map," which illustrates existing public goods like a mosque and desired additions such as a bridge. The VDO identifies community needs and lobbies local government via letters to direct funds accordingly. Since 2000, the Aga Khan Foundation has helped establish over 100 VDOs across northern Mozambique, starting with grants of 38,000 Meticals (£430) and encouraging self-sustainability. While some groups lack capacity, many thrive, supported by organisations like MASC, which backs 30 VDOs.
Community Organisations as Vital Partners
Návia Glória of MASC in Cabo Delgado praises these groups: "There’s a magic to these groups. They differ in age, culture and geographic area, but they work." Manuel Teodoro, a district official, echoes this sentiment, calling VDOs "the right hand of the local government." Lisa Kurbiel, director of the UN’s Joint Sustainable Development Goals Fund, highlights their enduring role: "It is often [these organisations] who are closest to communities, who understand the nuances of poverty, exclusion, and opportunity, and who remain when projects end and headlines fade."
As aid cuts continue to bite, the resilience of Mozambique's community organisations remains a beacon of hope, but their ability to sustain progress hinges on overcoming the financial challenges that threaten to sever their support networks.
