Construction of a training center for the women of the Khessani Cooperative begins
November 25, 2024 – On November 21, construction began on a professional training center for sustainable fishing and shellfish processing for the Khessani Women’s Cooperative. It is located in Madava, a small fishing community at the bottom of Inhambane Bay in Mozambique.
This space, designed as a hub for women’s gatherings and ongoing learning, will cover 40 m² and include an annexed bathroom, a water well, and a solar-powered energy system, ensuring both sustainability and autonomy.
The start of construction coincided with World Fisheries Day, a symbolic occasion highlighting the importance of marine resource conservation and the involvement of local communities. During the official event in Madava, presided over by the Jangamo District Administrator, the Mujeres por África Foundation, Duna Lodge, and the Khessani Women’s Cooperative were introduced as strategic partners to promote the development of the fisheries sector in the region.
At the event, the District’s Director of Economic Activities addressed the challenges facing the fishing community, such as the declining resources in the bay and illegal fishing during the shrimp fishing ban. Fishermen called for government support to mitigate the economic hardship caused by the ban period. However, the government encouraged them to self-organize and create a relief fund, curb illegal fishing, and protect the mangrove ecosystem.
Although the Administrator pledged to provide an engine with 30% co-financing from the fishermen, the measures proposed by the authorities were deemed insufficient to address the structural issues affecting the sector.
In this challenging context, the establishment of the training center not only strengthens women’s roles in the local economy but also offers a model of sustainable and efficient organization. The Wome for Africa Foundation, Duna Lodge, and the Khessani Women’s Cooperative expect this initiative to help communities adopt responsible practices, protect the mangroves, and foster self-management—key to addressing the challenges faced by the fishing sector.
This center is one of the actions included in the project “Khessani Cooperative: Sustainable Mangroves for Food Security, Gender Equality and Natural Tourism in the Bay of Inhambane, Mozambique”, led by the Women for Africa Foundation, in collaboration with Duna Lodge and the Khessani Cooperative as local partners, and financed by the Spanish Cooperation Agency AECID.
About the Khessani Women’s Cooperative
The Khessani Cooperative, composed of 15 women from the Jangamo district, has been working on this project for two years and was formally established in July 2022. One of its primary goals is to develop an aquaculture line, enabling at least 15 additional women to join the cooperative. This initiative aims to provide the 210 women shellfish harvesters in the village of Madava with a safe space to sell their products without relying on trips to external markets or unstable pricing.