International Women’s Day - #NutriBaiktransforms
Previously, we showed how NutriBaik is changing lives through this story. Today, we talk to Ancha Monequete on why she “finds hope in NutriBaik”. Here we see how, through women the NutriBaik, women are playing their part in the functioning of food systems.
Pemba, Mozambique – Every morning, Ancha Monequete wakes up wondering how she will take care of her 10 children, in addition to her later sister’s three orphaned children. As she looks out the window from her home in Cabo Delgado and listens to the sound of the waves from the nearby sea, she finds hope because the sea provides for her family.
I started selling fish in 2011 to support my five children at the time. My livelihood comes from the sea, and through it, I make a living.
Says 42- year-old Monequete. Ancha’s path has not been easy. She walks long distances under the scorching sun to ensure her family’s survival, often struggling with the deterioration of the fish she sells due to lack of cold storage facilities.
Thanks to the NutriBaik initiative (NutriBike in English), Ancha’s work has become easier and more efficient. With the new bike and equipment, which is designed to store fish and keep it fresh, she can travel further distances without worrying about her fish spoiling.
Now I can go further and ensure my fish stays safe,” she says with a smile, riding through the streets of Pemba.
NutriBaik is being developed by GAIN, through the Food Systems Strengthening program in partnership with the Municipality of Pemba and Sun Business Network (SBN) Mozambique, with funding from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway.
This initiative is making a difference not only in reducing food loss but also in improving the livelihoods of women like Ancha, who now have a sustainable income to support her family,
“My income has gone up because I don't lose fish. With this bike and the NutriBaik kit I can save an average of about 1 thousand meticais (15USD) and I can pay school fees for my children.”
Ancha’s hope has been renewed with the support of NutriBaik: “The less fish I lose, the more I can guarantee food and school for my children and so I find hope in NutriBaik. And this is also possible thanks to this project,” she says, her eyes filled with gratitude.
#NutriBaikTransformsWomen’s life – another chapter in the story of how NutriBaik is helping women and young people in Mozambique build a better future.