I arrived in Quelimane, the capital of Zambézia Province yesterday. Quelimane sits on a river just inland from the Indian Ocean. The city was founded and named around 1500 by Vasco de Gama, the Portuguese explorer. Since then it has been a hub for the Companhia de Zambézia (Portugal’s trading/plantation company during colonialism) and it is currently the hub of a giant coconut farm (madal) and tiger prawn (really big shrimp) export.
An employee from World Vision picked us (myself and Mica another volunteer who is part this project) up and brought us to a hotel. After quickly dropping off our luggage we went to the World Vision office and met with Brian, the provincial manager and our boss. Brian is an American who, with his wife and four kids, has been living abroad for the past 30 years or so. About 5 minutes into our conversation I learned that I will not be going to Morrumbala, but rather to a town called Alto-Molócué (“moló-cuáy). Apparently Alto-Molócué has a weaker ongoing agriculture project, and my knowledge of agriculture will be more effective there. I know very little about Alto-Molócué; it sits at about 1,500 feet above sea level; its 6 hrs from Quelimane, but closer to the city of Nampula. 5 years ago Carolyn I traveled a bit in this area and went to a near by town called Gurúe that is higher up and surrounded by tea plantations.
In Alto-Molócué it looks like I’ll be helping farmers implement conservation farming techniques on their own farms, in the form of demonstration plots. We’ll then do frequent field days to teacher other farmers about the techniques and show the difference in yields. I’ll also aid a local cooperative that has been established by World Vision. The level I will work with actually represents hundreds of farmers and is aimed at providing a market for their products. Additionally I’ll be developing a junior farmers program, which will be tied in with the demonstration plots. It is a lot of work, of course that is fine by me. Some of the work will also take me out into the bush on my bike with a tent in the mountains. Doesn’t that sound like fun!?
I have meetings and trainings in Quelimane until at least the end of next week and then up to Alto-Molócué.