Dig.ni.fy Winter Issue - January 2023 | Page 77

Priorities include providing safe spaces with access to basic services such as healthcare and education, supporting sustainable income generation activities, ensuring women and girls have sanitary hygiene kits and building resilience to radicalization with a stronger focus on the youth.

AKF identified several new income opportunities. One that has proven very successful was poultry farming. In this instance, AFK worked with the Agrarian Institute of Bilibiza (IABil) Ocua Campus (Chiure district) and gained financial support from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Mozambique. Members

in one of the poultry associations received a batch of 450 chickens to start their business.

Through training and mentorship, the

association was able to sell the chickens for a

Strengthening Mozambican Civil Society

Juntos! – meaning ‘Together!’ in Portuguese – is an innovative learning and knowledge sharing platform for local civil society organizations (CSOs). For the last eight years, Juntos! has provided ‘a space for local CSOs to share their project experiences and lessons learned, collaboratively improve organizational effectiveness, reach and funding, and coordinate to reduce overlap in programming to

ensure gaps in services are addressed and

filled.’

profit that was reinvested into the business.

In addition to helping create new livelihood

opportunities, the associations have offered a safe space for people – both host community members and IDPs – to come together, connect, and begin to heal after months of trauma and uncertainty.

Juntos! has – through a blended learning approach that combines digital and face-to-face teaching – helped 25 CSOs support over 700,00 people in Mozambique to better understand and respond to development challenges across education, women’s empowerment, human rights, access to information, early childhood development, health, economic development and more.

Above:

Ernestina Constância,

Poultry Farmer

Left:

Juntos! Participants

Info & Photos

Courtesy of:

Aga Khan Foundation

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