Key challenges

Community theatre in Mozambique [CAFOD]

Agriculture, HIV, advocacy, and education are major issues which CAFOD is working on with its partners

Agriculture

Essentially an agricultural country, the climate is predominantly semi-arid with a low annual rainfall.

Due to limited water irrigation systems across the country, agricultural production depends heavily on rain.

But fluctuating weather patterns including cyclical droughts and floods have devastated agriculture in recent years, leading to hunger and misery for millions of people.

HIV and AIDS

HIV infection among adults has steadily increased over the years, with rates higher in the central and the southern regions of the country.

Women are disproportionately affected, with young women between 20-24 years old living with HIV outnumbering HIV positive men by four to one.

One in 16 people living with HIV are children (0-14 years of age), infected primarily through mother-to-child transmission.

An estimated 30,000 children are born HIV positive each year.

Advocacy

The national government has proclaimed that local governments would be the starting point for all development.

Naturally, people in remote communities want to know where local monies are going, and how they can influence budget priorities.

Education

Although primary school education is now free in Mozambique (secondary education is not), many families struggle to pay for additional costs such as uniforms, and books.

take action

Advent Appeal 2008 Please send a message of support to kids this Advent at a special school run by a CAFOD partner

Shine a light in the darkness Please sign our petition calling on the world's largest mining company to listen to communities in the Philippines worried about the effect mining will have on their land - plus send a personal message of solidarity to the people of Macambol

Buy a World Gift Browse our new range of alternative gifts that act as two presents in one – something for you to give to friends or a relative, while the real gift changes the life of someone living in poverty