Mozambique: Sofala Bank artisanal fisheries project
The project aims to improve the social and economic conditions of artisanal fishing communities. Project activities are being implemented in “concentration areas” on the Sofala Bank located in Sofala Province, Zambezia Province and Nampula Province.
The purpose of the BSF cofinanced community development component (involving community mobilization, social infrastructure and health care services) is to improve the well-being of fishers by empowering fishing communities to take greater responsibility for local development initiatives such as implementing social infrastructure and service activities.
Achievements as of December 2008 under the BSF-cofinanced components
- Mobilization, sensitization and training of fishing communities grouped within 55 project areas in 17 coastal districts spread across the three provinces and representing around 100,000 households.
- By the end of 2007, 15 schools had been built (25 planned) and 606 literacy trainers had been prepared (830 planned). These trainers subsequently provided functional literacy courses to more than 9,000 people in their local communities. Twenty-one school committees were formed. A total of 68 classrooms were built, with sufficient space for an estimated 21,650 children.
- Health care activities included the construction and equipping of nine health care centres (18 planned); construction of five houses for health staff and expectant mothers; training of 314 traditional birth attendants (585 planned); support for mobile vaccination brigades, which vaccinated almost 700,000 children; training of 337 community health agents (375 planned); and provision of hospital furniture, bicycle ambulances and radios.
- Birth assistants trained by the project assisted in more than 18,000 births.
- Construction of health care centres was planned and supported by 16 health committees whose members received appropriate training.
Disbursement of Sofala (2004-2008)
