Ana’s journey of Resilience
Ana lives in the Manica province in central Mozambique, with her husband Luis where they farm bananas, corn and tomatoes. Like many of our clients she has faced huge challenges:
- Limited access to education.
- Limited access to business and agricultural training.
- Limited access to financial support.
She has also seen her livelihood destroyed by extreme weather and now faces the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic…
… Yet, with support from Opportunity International she has remained resilient and is determined to succeed.
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Cyclone Idai destroyed our crops and damaged our houses.
In March 2019, Cyclone Idai, made landfall in Beira, Mozambique and brought heavy rains and strong winds that led to flash flooding, hundreds of deaths and damage to property and crops. Many, like Ana and her family, lost everything – their homes, their livelihoods and their hopes for the future.
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Opportunity International helped me understand how to keep money in the bank instead of at home.
Thankfully Ana had been saving securely. After receiving training on financial management from Opportunity International, she moved her money from her house to a secure savings account. After the cyclone hit, Ana was able to access her savings to buy food and continue feeding her family. She also applied for a new loan to rebuild her farm and diversify her crops.
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I used my loan to rent a tractor so I could plough and pay labourers to prepare the land again. The loan also allowed me to buy more land for my farm and grow bananas - now I have a good business producing and selling bananas.
Ana is resilient. She doesn’t give up, and with support from Opportunity International she was able to overcome the devastating effects of Cyclone Idai. But now she faces another threat to her livelihood – COVID-19.
COVID-19 support with mobile banking
Mobile banking enables us to effectively support our clients, like Ana, with the training and financial services they need.
A message of support from our Patron HRH The Princess Royal
In a rapidly changing world, Opportunity International’s innovative approach to tackling poverty and building resilience has never been more vital. For many of our clients, the COVID-19 global pandemic is only one of the many challenges they must overcome. Their resilience, determination and ambition to succeed is something I have always admired. Opportunity International’s ability to enable and unlock these qualities is something I am proud to be part of.
Access to financial training and services has been essential in providing our clients with a safety-net allowing them to withstand this current crisis better. They can continue to feed and clothe their family, whilst preparing and adapting their livelihoods for the future. We urgently need to support more families to access these services as the crisis deepens. Our Christmas appeal is important at this vital time, and your support is needed now more than ever.
Our Clients
Our clients are resilient but they need the financial training, services and opportunities to build strong livelihoods that will withstand the uncertainties of the future.
Will you help us provide the hand up they need at this critical time?
Just £45 could provide three farmers with life-changing digital financial training.
We are resilient
Ana’s story is not uncommon. She is just one example of the resilience shown by all our clients who, no matter what they face, work hard to lift themselves, their children and their communities out of poverty.
Opportunity International will continue to stand with them for as long as we can.
