Joanina Mambihi’s story unfolds in the resource-rich but impoverished northern province of Cabo Delgado, Mozambique. Economic exclusion, among other factors, has fuelled a violent insurrection across the area, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties and causing hundreds of thousands of rural villagers to flee their homes. Before the raids started, Joanina owned land where she ran a flourishing agro business in Mocimboa da Praia. But in 2020, she had to leave it all behind in search of safety for herself and her family. 

After settling in Nacala, Joanina heard about iDE through the local government and decided to join. She quickly absorbed iDE’s training in business and agriculture, and gained access to finance and other resources. She started with maize, cassava, and rice, but her harvest was not enough to feed her family, including her husband, 2 children, niece, and a younger brother, on top of earning enough profit to cover their other needs. The iDE team advised Joanina that she would attract more customers at the market by growing less common vegetables such as tomatoes, lettuce, and onions. She decided to give this a try, even though the practices required for growing horticulture, such as irrigation technology and soil preparation, were new to her. 

Joanina hopes to see progress within her community as more farmers learn about and discover a wider range of farming methods. To help make her vision come true, she regularly attends “exchange experiences” during which she shares her new knowledge with other production leaders.