From Field to Table: Improving Nutrition in Mozambique’s Beira Corridor
Around 43,000 people in Mozambique have improved their eating habits through the Mangwana program, which combines agricultural training with practical cooking demonstrations to fight malnutrition.
For TechnoServe’s Mangwana program, success isn’t measured solely by crop yields or market access. It is measured in the kitchens and on the tables of people living in the Beira Corridor. Increased farm productivity must also lead to better health outcomes for the families who grow our food.
Mangwana, which means “tomorrow” in the local languages of this region, aims to improve both the agricultural output and food security for 227,000 people across Manica and Sofala provinces. This four-year initiative is funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and implemented by a consortium including TechnoServe, Resiliência, the Zambezi Valley Agency, and ADEM.
Measuring Success Beyond the Harvest
A recent mid-term evaluation shows that this work is taking hold. More than 43,000 people have changed their eating habits. Around 24,300 individuals are now better prepared to handle unexpected disruptions to food security or dietary habits. Nutritional shocks are often driven by economic crises, conflict, or extreme climate events. An additional 16,600 members of farming families have achieved direct food and nutritional security.
These statistics represent a fundamental shift in how families approach their daily meals.
Tools for Lasting Change
The Mangwana program targets the root of these behaviors through a nutrition component. It provides information and tools to improve household nutrition.
- Practical Training: Families learn about hygiene, food processing, and preservation techniques that protect their long-term health.
- Cooking Demonstrations: These sessions show farmers how to turn local crops into nutrient-dense, diverse dishes.
- Information on the Move: The program uses community radio, local fairs, text messages, and roadshows to share advice in local languages.
- Local Leadership: The project relies on young people and women to drive these changes within their own communities.
Real Stories of Recovery
Farmer Zefa José, 36, is married to Mazula and has six children. Alberto, 3, is the youngest and once suffered from severe acute malnutrition.
“I started attending training sessions of the Mangwana program, where I learned to go beyond simple porridge and began to prepare enriched porridge and diversify my family’s meals with local products,” Zefa explained. “My son Alberto’s health has improved, and today, his nutritional status is stable.” The family maintains their own home garden, and Zefa now leads other mothers in her community, showing them that better health starts in the backyard.
Zefa’s assessment was confirmed by Clesia Figuereiro, a nutrition technician assigned to the referred district. She visited Alberto weekly for a month.
“When I identified him at the health unit with severe acute malnutrition, I advised the mother on the importance of adequate nutrition, taught her how to prepare enriched porridges and soups, and talked about hygiene, water treatment, and care of the environment,” she shared. “By the second visit, I began to see hope: Alberto showed improvements: he was more active, was already eating family food, and was playing.”
By the third visit, Clesia noted that Alberto’s diet had become more varied and the hygiene of the house had improved considerably.
A similar story emerged in Vanduzi with a young girl named Joanita. She was diagnosed with moderate acute malnutrition. Her mother committed to attending cooking demonstrations and worked closely with program technicians during eight follow-up visits. These sessions focused on adopting a diverse diet and monitoring Joanita’s progress. By the end of the monitoring period, Joanita’s health had improved.
By focusing on the Beira Corridor, Mangwana is helping families in Manica and Sofala turn the food they grow into health and well-being. When a mother learns to enrich a porridge or start a home garden, she isn’t just solving a mealtime problem. She is building a more resilient future for her children.
