In Mozambique Diakonia works through organisations, forums/platforms and networks of national outreach, present in the eleven provinces of the country with delegations, members (of networks) and/or focal points.

Mozambique is a country affected by the bloody liberation war from Portugal, and the civil war that ended in 1992. The country, with around 23 million inhabitants, has had a rather stable political situation since after the wars and a periodically very good economic development. But, the rapid economic growth, has only reached a small part of the population and the global financial crisis has slowed down the progress and led to a rising number of unemployed people. The economy of  Mozambique is more diverse than that of it’s neighbouring countries, with industry, trade and agriculture to depend on. Agriculture stands for about two thirds of the country’s GDP (2010) and four out of five Mozambicans make their living as a small-scale farmer.

Thematic areas and objectives

Diakonia’s programme in Mozambique focuses on four substantive thematic areas with specific objectives:

Participation and social accountability

• To improve government performance and accountability, in particular service delivery to poor people, women, children and people with special needs (in particular to people with disabilities and those affected with HIV/AIDS) through improved civil society participation, monitoring and influence.

Legal accountability, the rule of law and respect for human rights

• To advance the enforcement of human rights in general, and in particular those of women, children and people with disabilities and those affected by HIV/AIDS.
• To advance the rule of law through improved accessibility and monitoring the performance and accountability of the judicial system.

Political accountability in a multiparty democracy system

• To contribute for the enforcement of a multiparty democratic system that is inclusive, vibrant, transparent and peaceful.

Capacity building of civil society and harmonisation with fellow donors

Through its  programme, Diakonia also purse the objective to strengthen civil society capacity, namely: 

• To strengthen civil society organisations, at different levels for them to be able to organise and act towards the development of democratic structures and practices;
• To contribute to wider acceptance of good donorship principles and practices through increased coordination and alignment amongst intermediary organisations and with fellow donor programmers.