13 March 2023
Seeds of hope for Cabo Delgado
To mitigate the hardships caused by the insurgency in Cabo Delgado province, Montepuez Ruby has donated 5.5 tonnes of seeds to two communities badly affected by the violence.
Residents in Nacoja, in Ancuabe district, and Mpene, in Montepuez district, have suffered acutely since the insurgent activity in October 2022, with many losing their homes. Thus, they welcomed the generous provision of seeds – worth 1 million meticais – from various crops, which will allow them to prepare for the forthcoming agricultural season and make a living from the land.
This humanitarian act by MRM demonstrates its ongoing commitment to ensuring that profits from its ruby mining concession make a difference to the lives of people in local communities. In total, 412 families benefited from the delivery, which consisted of 8 kilos of maize seeds, 5 kilos of cowpea seeds, 2 kilos of peanut seeds and 1 kilo of sesame seeds – most of these were people who had just returned to their homes.
All the seeds are certified with high production potential and they will help to facilitate a return to farming in ravaged areas – which is vital for food supply as well as income generation. The chief of Nacoja village, Vitalino Eusebius, heralded the donation as “a buoy of salvation at a time when there was little hope”. Mpene villa chief, Inácio Geraldo, thanked MRM for the gesture, which comes at the crucial “time of sowing”.
This seed donation is an extra act of charity, which takes into account the disastrous effects of the recent attacks. It comes on top of the regular distribution of ten tonnes of seeds to more than 500 beneficiaries of the Agriculture and Conservation project – an initiative which serves nine agricultural associations, cultivating 800 hectares of land. According to the Montepuez government, it has been hugely effective at boosting household incomes and fighting hunger since its inception in 2016.