Today, AVSI is active in four provinces across Mozambique, with programs in urban integrated development, food security and agriculture, education and vocational training, energy and environment, and emergency response. These efforts focus on improving the living conditions of the most vulnerable, with special attention to women and children, while strengthening community resilience in areas affected by conflict, displacement, and climate change. AVSI has been present in Mozambique since 2010, with a strong presence in Cabo Delgado province responding to the needs of displaced and host populations. 

Mozambique faces a complex mix of economic, social, and environmental challenges that directly shape AVSI’s mission. 

Mozambique’s economy is largely driven by the extractive industries (natural gas, coal, and minerals), agriculture, and services. While projects in the energy and mining sectors contribute significantly to GDP, they offer limited direct employment, especially for unskilled youth. Agriculture remains the largest employer - absorbing nearly 70% of the workforce - but is characterised by low productivity, informality, and vulnerability to climate shocks. 

Youth, who make up over 60% of the population,  struggle to access formal employment opportunities, due to low education levels, limited technical skills, and weak labor demand. As a result, most young people find work in the informal sector, engaging in small-scale trade, subsistence farming, or low-paid service jobs. In fact, according to the World Bank over 80% of the total labor force in Mozambique is employed informally, with limited job security, income stability, or access to social protection. 

Urban centers like Maputo city and province show even more critical trends, reflecting a saturated job market. Economic shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, and conflict in the north, have further reduced job creation across both the public and private sectors. 

Despite gradual development gains, poverty and inequality remain widespread across Mozambique, particularly in the northern provinces. Mozambique poverty rates are especially alarming in Cabo Delgado, Niassa, and Nampula, where communities face chronic hunger and undernutrition. This vulnerability is driven by a combination of fragility, violence, and environmental risks. 

Since 2017, Cabo Delgado has been the epicenter of an insurgency led by non-state armed groups, which has destabilized the region and displaced large segments of the population. The Cabo Delgado conflict has forced thousands to flee their homes, often with little warning. According to the IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (March 2025), more than 609,000 people have been internally displaced, primarily in Cabo Delgado but also in neighboring Niassa and Nampula. Many have lost access to farmland, livelihoods, and basic infrastructure. Over 950,000 people in these three provinces are facing hunger due to the combined effects of violence and limited access to food production. 

This massive movement of people has placed enormous pressure on local resources. Approximately 70% of internally displaced persons are hosted within local communities, while the remaining 30% live in temporary accommodation centers. The majority of displaced families reside in the district of Pemba (24%), creating overcrowding in urban areas. 

The surge in displacement has pushed public systems to the brink. Education, health care, and water supply services are overwhelmed, especially in host communities. Access to basic services remains limited across both displaced and host populations, with women and youth among the most vulnerable groups, facing barriers to protection, education, and employment opportunities. 

Mozambique is one of the countries in Africa most exposed to climate-related disasters due to its geographic position along the southwestern Indian Ocean. With a coastline stretching over 2,500 kilometers, the country lies directly in the path of tropical storms and cyclones that form over warm ocean waters and make landfall during the rainy season (typically November to April). Low-lying coastal areas, especially in the central and northern regions, are particularly vulnerable to flooding, storm surges, and wind damage and prolonged periods of drought.. In addition, poor infrastructure, rapid urbanization, and widespread poverty increase the population’s exposure and reduce their ability to recover from such events. 

In recent years, Mozambique has suffered a series of devastating cyclones. Most notably, Cyclone Idai struck in March 2019, affecting over 1.85 million people and causing widespread destruction in Sofala, Manica, and Zambézia provinces, with Beira city being one of the hardest hit. Cyclones Kenneth (2019). Freddy (2023) and Chido (2024) followed, bringing similar destruction to Cabo Delgado and Nampula, highlighting the recurring nature of these extreme weather events. The frequency and intensity of Mozambique cyclones are expected to increase with climate change, threatening lives, infrastructure, and food systems. 

Cyclones are not the only threat. Floods are common in the central and southern river basins, particularly along the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers, where heavy rains cause rivers to overflow, displacing thousands and damaging homes, roads, and farmland. These disasters severely affect agriculture - the backbone of rural livelihoods - leading to repeated cycles of food insecurity, especially in already fragile communities. 

In parallel, deforestation and land degradation continue to rise due to population pressure, unsustainable farming practices, and the demand for fuelwood and charcoal. Forest loss reduces soil quality and water retention, making rural areas even more susceptible to drought and erosion. These environmental changes are already impacting food production, water availability, and health outcomes, particularly in isolated and underserved districts. 

The combined effects of extreme weather, environmental degradation, and limited coping mechanisms are pushing many Mozambican families deeper into poverty and vulnerability, underscoring the urgency of building community resilience, improving early warning systems, and promoting sustainable natural resource management. 

Even in the face of widespread fragility, AVSI walks alongside Mozambican communities on a path toward resilience. In a country challenged by poverty, insecurity, climate shocks, and economic instability, AVSI chooses to start from what is still standing - relationships, knowledge, potential - and builds from there. Every intervention aims to strengthen the capacities of individuals and communities to face adversity and envision a future of dignity and opportunity. 

In Mozambique, where many children and adolescents grow up in conditions of poverty and instability, education remains one of the most powerful tools for change. Through the Distance Support Program, AVSI ensures that vulnerable children and youth are not left behind.  

Since the late 1990s, AVSI has been operating in the outskirts of Maputo in partnership with local organization Khandlelo, offering not only school-related assistance but also an environment of stability, affection, and growth. 

In a context marked by poverty and growing inequality, the public education system is struggling, with heavily underpaid teachers, overcrowded classes, and poor quality learning. This is one of the main reasons why estimates show in Mozambique, complete literacy is usually reached in secondary school, leaving behind the most vulnerable, those with specific learning disorders or any kind of disability.  

Illiterate parents with low-paid, informal jobs often struggle to meet their children’s basic needs or support their learning. Many children grow up without safe spaces to play and with limited access to education:Twhile the Distance Support Program offers a safe space where children are cared . In each center, they receive educational support, a balanced meal a day, and they take part in group activities where they can learn key life skills while playing. But most of all, every child and family are followed by a network of social workers and a psychologist to offer them psychosocial support and learning opportunities.. 

The Distance Support Program holistic, integrated approach is based on the conviction that offering a safe space to vulnerable and neglected children is not enough to improve their overall wellbeing; the real difference is made when people work together to turn fragile families into safe spaces where a person can grow and thrive.  

AVSI invests in technical and vocational training programs that equip young men and women with practical skills aligned with local market needs to address growing unemployment 

These programs are not only a response to youth unemployment but a way to unlock the potential of the country’s younger generation. Training focuses on trades such as construction, electricity, renewable energy, and agriculture - sectors where demand is growing. In areas affected by conflict and displacement, such as Cabo Delgado, vocational training also supports the integration of youth from both displaced and host communities, offering a path toward social cohesion and economic self-reliance.  

In a context of rapid urbanization, environmental vulnerability, and weak infrastructure, AVSI sees urban development a strategic entry point to improve living conditions and promote long-term resilience. Mozambique’s cities are increasingly affected by climate shocks, internal displacement, and the pressure of unplanned growth. Investing in inclusive, sustainable, and community-led urban regeneration is key to turning these challenges into opportunities. 

AVSI’s experience in Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado Province, offers a clear example. As the city’s population surged due to conflict-related displacement, informal settlements grew rapidly, often in flood-prone areas without basic services. In collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the municipality of Pemba, AVSI led a participatory project in the Alto Gingone neighborhood to transform the urban environment while strengthening social and institutional resilience. 

The intervention combined nature-based solutions, such as drainage systems, rainwater harvesting, reforestation and composting, with vocational training and community involvement. Over 600 residents - half of whom were internally displaced and 75% women - participated in the construction activities and received practical skills that improved their job prospects. At the same time, local authorities were supported in developing better policies and plans for waste and water management. 

This integrated approach to urban development - blending hard infrastructure, environmental sustainability, and community empowerment - helped reduce flood risk, improve public health, create green spaces, and spark local economic activity. It shows how even in cities under pressure, people can take ownership of their future when provided with the tools, knowledge, and support to do so. 

In Mozambique, where biomass remains the primary source of energy for cooking, AVSI is promoting access to energy-efficient cookstoves as a practical and scalable solution to reduce CO₂ emissions, protect public health, and alleviate environmental degradation. AVSI implemented the first United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change -accredited project under the Clean Development Mechanism to reduce carbon emissions through improved cooking technologies - marking a milestone in climate action. 

AVSI's interventions span from urban and peri-urban areas of Maputo and Pemba to rural communities in Cabo Delgado, Sofala and Manica Provinces, reaching an estimated population of over 850k people since 2012, working with 7 local producers, 1 technical institute, 2 distribution cooperatives and training more than 200 young people in sales, distribution and community outreach. Thanks to its community-based commercial approach, AVSI has successfully activated local markets, supported the creation of cookstove distribution cooperatives, and strengthened local producers, making cleaner cooking solutions more accessible and sustainable. 

AVSI is also a trusted partner in research and policy innovation, behavioral change strategies, and clean energy policy design. It has been actively involved in carbon credit generation, leveraging its environmental interventions. As a member of the Clean Clean Cooking and key energy platforms, AVSI brings expertise to global and local partnerships. 

By integrating awareness campaigns and behavioral change promotion, marketing tools, and tailored financing mechanisms, AVSI ensures that even the most vulnerable households, particularly women, can adopt clean cooking technologies. These efforts are not only reducing pressure on forests and indoor air pollution but also creating new livelihood opportunities across the energy value chain. 

Through this multifaceted and cost-effective approach, AVSI demonstrates how clean cooking can be a catalyst for climate resilience, public health, and inclusive economic growth in Mozambique. 

In Cabo Delgado, a province affected by violent insurgency, natural disasters, and widespread displacement, AVSI has been working side by side with communities and institutions long before the onset of the crisis in 2017. This early presence allowed AVSI to be among the first organizations to respond to multiple emergencies - both sudden, like tropical cyclones, and protracted, such as the displacement of hundreds of thousands due to conflict. 

AVSI’s humanitarian response in the province is rooted in a multisectoral and integrated approach, combining emergency relief with long-term development efforts. This strategy is an effective way to meet both immediate and structural needs. Interventions are inspired by the triple nexus of emergency, development, and peace, ensuring that humanitarian actions lay the groundwork for durable solutions, community resilience, and social cohesion. 

At the core of AVSI’s work is a network of solid partnerships with local authorities - from the education and health directorates to energy, infrastructure, and social services. - as well as civil society organizations and academic institutions. These partnerships promote ownership, capacity building, and sustainability, ensuring that local actors are not only involved but lead in planning and implementation. 

Over the years, AVSI has implemented a wide range of activities in the province, including: 

Through a participatory methodology  women, youth, and displaced populations are invovled in decision-making and implementation to  to contribute to peaceful coexistence and preventing the spread of violence and extremism. 

By connecting emergency response with sustainable development, AVSI ensures that its work in Cabo Delgado strengthens the foundation for a more resilient and peaceful future.