For women in Mozambique, owning a donkey can greatly improve their quality of life. The Cupo and Tlavane communities, in remote, dry and poor areas, are still affected by the destruction of the civil war that ended in 1992. Women have the difficult task of collecting water and transporting goods from farm to market. So by using donkeys to carry these loads, women can save time and energy, improve their productivity, and improve their income. This also gives women more chance to be involved in community decision-making processes, and contributes to improving women’s equality.

“We have supported 21 families to have vegetable gardens here [in the communal garden] and they grow enough to eat and sell. But the big problem is accessing markets to sell their produce. The distance is so long and many people have to walk. People have very few animals and there is no transport.” Justino Simone, Project Coordinator, Cupo village, Mozambique.