Fish and fundraising in Mozambique

A few weeks on from my trip to Mozambique, I have had time to reflect on some of the inspirational women I met.

Rosa and Maria (both pictured below) are part of two Save the Children projects in Mozambique which give families and communities the chance to provide for themselves and build a future for their children. Save the Children provides raw materials (for example seeds or tools) and training.

Rosa and Maria’s new ways of making a living are related to fish. Rosa (below), who is 13, pictured here with her 5-month-old baby Maizinha, is part of a female cooperative that runs a fish-breeding business. The pond behind her is where they breed fish in the pond pictured behind her, which they eat themselves. But they also sell surplus fish to make money. The women of the committee all need to be independant, either because they are widows or because their husbands have a number of wives and can’t afford to provide for all of them.

Maria, (below) with her newborn baby, is the head of a committee which received a loan from Save the Children to buy the fish, which they then dry and salt in order to sell as delicacies for the cities. In their first year they have managed to raise enough money to pay back 25% of the loan provided by Save the Children.

So what do Rosa and Maria and their fish and their babies have to do with you?

Well, you can help more women like them to make a future for their children. When introducing myself to the people I met in Mozambique, I told them that there were thousands of people in the UK challenging themselves to take part in marathons and other events, and then inspiring their friends, families and colleagues to support Save the Children. So sign up for an event today, encourage your community, and please support communities like these.

For events you can sign up for today, take a look at our website here: www.savethechildren.org.uk/events.