AECF in Mozambique: US$10M for 13 organisations over 3 years – Funders demand benefits for communities

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AECF in Mozambique: US$10M for 13 organisations over 3 years – Funders demand benefits for communities

3:37 CAT | 10 Mar 2017

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Mozambican beneficiaries of funds invested by the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) were urged on Wednesday in Maputo to develop activities that will have a positive affect on communities.

In the last three years, a total of 13 organizations have benefited from an investment of over US$10 million.

AEFC program manager Boleslaw Stawicki, along with his team and partners from the African Alliance for the Green Revolution (AGRA), told beneficiaries from several provinces that one of the commitments made in obtaining such funds was to take actions to leverage poor communities.

“It would not be good if you were doing your activities without involving communities. This fund was only established to contribute to socio-economic development, so it would not be acceptable to deviate from the AECF’s main agenda,” Stawicki said.

James Carnigie, AECF representative for the SADC region, reinforced this message by stating that the intended involvement of the local population is not so as to distribute money or food, but to stimulate activities in which they participate and earn something by their own work.

“Our beneficiary should make a difference in the community by impacting families with fewer resources,” said Carnigie, adding that communication with people in the areas where they operate was critical.

Other stakeholders in the organization, such as James Kioko, Victor Ndiege and Daniel Ohonde, also reiterated the need to work in coordination with communities, speaking about the importance of transparency to the fund’s credibility.

They expressed concern that some grassroots organizations were ineligible for funding simply because their licensing took such a long time.

The group’s Board of Investment president Anne-Marie Chidzero similarly remarked that it had been noticed some companies in Mozambique requested funds without a license.

By Rodrigues Luís

Source: Noticias