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Working the fields in Chongoene, Southern Mozambique. Photo: Joel Chiziane/OxfamAUS
Singing for their supper
Every day, the fields around Chongoene – a small village in the fertile Limpopo Valley of Southern Mozambique – are filled with singing as volunteers from our local partner organisation, Arepacho, tend to their crops.
They are singing in their native Tsonga dialect; the English translation of their song, "We are members of Arepacho. We are working together for food security. We are supporting people with HIV and AIDS.”
Arepacho began in 2000 as an agricultural organisation. But as the impact of HIV and AIDS spread throughout the local area, the organisation expanded to include a range of HIV and AIDS services such as home-based care, counselling, and treatment and support for orphans and vulnerable children. During the past year, it has been integrating these activities with its agricultural work in an effort to make the community more resilient against HIV and AIDS by having better access to nutritious food.
This year, members are growing seven hectares of potatoes, five hectares of maize, three hectares of beans, plus other vegetables such as tomatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbages, onion and lettuce.
Once the produce is harvested, it is divided equally, with one part being sold to raise funds for the organisation to become self-sustainable, one part being given to Arepacho members to consume or sell for income, and the rest being distributed to people living with HIV, orphans and other vulnerable families.
Arepacho's most recent harvest produced 17.5 tonnes of potatoes and 26 tonnes of maize which it used to provide nutritious food to 966 people.
Samuel Chirindze lives with his wife Sandra on a small property just outside of Chongoene. He was diagnosed with HIV in 2005 and has been receiving support from Arepacho with food, home-based care and treatment support.
“I don’t know that I would survive without Arepacho,” Samuel says.
“We receive food, vegetables, beans and rice from Arepacho. Every Wednesday [home-based carer] Veronica comes to visit us to pray, provide counselling and domestic care. Sometimes I get money from Arepacho so I can take the bus and get my treatment. They are also providing support with bills and medicines and that makes me feel stronger.”
Samuel Chirindze was diagnosed with HIV in 2005 and has been receiving support from Arepacho with food, home-based care and treatment support. He is pictured here with his carer, Veronica. Photo: Joel Chiziane/OxfamAUS
One of the volunteers, Alda Uamusse, is using the skills she has learned from working in Arepacho’s fields, to make her own home garden more productive.
“I have a garden at home that doesn’t produce. Before, I was doing things in the normal way – I didn’t know anything else,” Alda says.
“But with Arepacho, I have also learned quite a lot of things that I now use in my own garden – things like seeding potatoes and using fertiliser. Now, I am praying for a good harvest.”
