Public Agricultural Investment Requirements and Decisions in Mozambique

I love coming to the point where the path I've chosen actually touches and recognizes my past decisions to support agriculture in Mozambique.  Although I am now living on the other side of the world in New Mexico, United States, I can still recognize the fabulous of the course my life has taken to revisit what I truly find important to the world. Thank you ReSAKSS, IFPRI, and especially, Mozambique for this.

FULL CIRCLE!

As the government of Mozambique embarks on its National Agriculture Investment Plan (or Programa Nacional de Investimento do Sector Agrário (PNISA)), one of the major challenges that the investment planning team faces is assessing the amount and types of investments that will be needed to bring about desired changes, particularly to achieve a 7 percent agricultural growth rate each year. A new IFPRI discussion paper, titled Public Expenditures in Agriculture in Mozambique, discusses the types and amount of public agricultural investments required in order for the country to achieve its own development goals as established in the context of the CAADP framework, as well as the factors that drive public investment decisions.

Read More: http://blog.resakss.org/2013/01/25/public-agricultural-investment-requirements-and-decisions-in-mozambique/

Farewells to Project Rx (hopefully only for now...)

The introduction of Project Rx to community leaders.

It has been a tremendous time working for Project Rx, after over a year of hard work with the strong and capable Mozambican participants, Project Rx can call itself a success.

We have brought our farming education to hundreds, hoping they will, in turn, share their knowledge unto the masses. The words to describe the experience does no justice. The lives we have encountered, the adversity, the successes, the days of rain and days of sun.

Teaching session about how to plan, grow and treat a vegetable garden.

As Project Rx leaves Mozambique (hopefully only to plan another return), we leave behind education for the masses. We have made our information available to all those interested in farming from square one.

Together the community leaders and I remove the weeds and grass from the area in which we would like our farm to be.

We have proven that when everyone gets together and is willing to learn, we can create an entire farm that can feed a small family in just one day. It's not brain surgery, it's not the reinvention of the wheel. It's simply getting the information that has only been available to farmers, to those who want to grow food for their families.

I get everyone started on how to plant the seeds and space between seeds.

Then they take over, each taking a turn to plant seeds. :)

Although the means are humble, the gratefulness of those Project Rx has encountered humble us all the more. Again, there is no way to describe the magic of Mozambique and the unbearable beauty of the people and the culture. There are always ups and downs, but the heart remembers the good.

The community members held a special song and dance session to thank us for our presence.

I'd like to give a huge thanks to Orlando Fumbanhane at Mozal's Community Development sector for philanthropic projects. He helped orchestrate Project Rx's presence with the Association of Community Leaders for Development in Matola.

Thank you all for the continued support. Our impact would have been impossible without you. :)