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International Partnerships

The Milange-Mocuba road diaries

More than just a road - this project has opened up areas of significant economical development along the Milange-Mocuba corridor. Farmers have access to markets, promoting economic and social development, enhancing regional integration and reducing poverty.

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Nicholas O’Dwyer Ltd

Some suppliers would refuse to come here because of the poor access. Often, their cars would break down along the middle of the road and it was particularly problematic for big trucks with fragile cargo. We’d run out of stocks and our clients would complain.... But since the road was rehabilitated, life has changed. Now cars arrive on time and this has been very good for our business.

Quenisse Rodrigues, wholesale warehouse manager in Milange, Mozambique.

"My name is Quenisse Rodrigues, I come from the Namacurra district and work as a warehouse manager at Handling, a wholesale drinks company here in Milange.

Our life has improved a lot with the new road. In the old days a car would take a long time to get here from Mocuba. With a good car it might take 5-6 hours, but with a bad car it could take as much as 17 hours.

Some suppliers would refuse to come here because of the poor access. Often, their cars would break down along the middle of the road and it was particularly problematic for big trucks with fragile cargo. It’s not so long since we had a car get stuck in the road and lose 500 crates of drinks. That’s a heavy loss. Meanwhile we’d run out of stocks and our clients would complain.

But since the road was rehabilitated, life has changed. Now cars arrive on time and this has been very good for our business. We used to have 1 warehouse and now we have a second one. We’re even expanding our range, ordering products that weren’t previously available in the market and they sell very quickly."

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"The life of the retailers who buy from us has improved too. They used to have to wait a long time at the bus stop for transport. Now the buses are very regular. Or they would carry their load away on bikes, but because of the potholes, sometimes they’d lose it on the road. That is not happening anymore.

Everyone is benefiting from the rehabilitation of our road. Even people who don’t travel gain, because they can get what they want right here at home.

And prices are lower now because transporters don’t have to pay as much for repairs. Something that used to cost MTS 300, MTS 400, now costs MTS 240 or even MTS120.

When we have new infrastructure, new roads, we develop. Everyone wants to develop. No one wants to be left behind. If we continue like this, in the future Mozambique will be a better place."

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When the road was bad, some mothers wouldn’t make it to the hospital to have their babies. As soon as their time arrived, they would have to wait for transportation; sometimes they couldn't find it and would arrive late. But now everything is well. The road is the future of Mozambique.

Teresa Joaquim, roadside seller

"My name is Teresa Joaquim. I am from Alto Benfica, and I make and sell "badjia" cakes.

This road from Mocuba to Milange changed our lives because of all the travellers. Sometimes they stop, buy a few things and continue their journey. In the old days we would sell 150 MT worth per day, but now we can sell cakes up to 500 MT, 350 MT, even 450 MT a day. And I can even get all the ingredients right here in Alto Benfica. I don’t need to travel to Mocuba anymore.

There are many other improvements. When the road was bad, some mothers wouldn’t make it to the hospital to have their babies. As soon as their time arrived, they would have to wait for transport, sometimes they couldn't find it or it would arrive late.

There was a small health unit where mothers could go to have their babies, but often there was no nurse there. Many nurses couldn't come from Mocuba. It was very hard. There were many stillborn children.

But now everything is well. The road is the future of Mozambique."

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