What’s Happening
Canadian Minister of International Development, Ahmed Hussen, has announced a series of projects within Mozambique that would receive a total of 65.8 million CAD (48.6 million USD) in funding “that clearly demonstrate Canada’s commitment to supporting Mozambique on its path to sustainable development.”
The funding was announced as a part of Minister Hussen’s trip to both Mozambique and Madagascar, where he met with a number of different high level political leaders, including Prime Minister Christian Ntsay of Madagascar and Prime Minister Adriano Maleiane of Mozambique.
Within Madagascar, where his trip began, he met with representatives of ‘Generation Unlimited’, a UNICEF initiative which supports ‘green’ youth employment. Additionally, he met with a number of women leaders of various businesses. The meetings with the political and business leaders were largely aimed at fostering cooperation in trade, climate, mining operations, as well as youth employment.
Globally, Canada has supported over 2,900 local women’s rights and feminist organizations. And over 50 of these are in Mozambique. pic.twitter.com/OuIDFUl3AI
— Ahmed Hussen (@HonAhmedHussen) March 15, 2024
While Canada announced no new funding initiatives in Madagascar, they have given Madagascar tens of millions in financial aid over the past several years, including 38.6 million CAD (28.5 million USD) in the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
Six Projects
After arriving in Mozambique and amidst meetings with Mozambique’s high level political leadership, Minister Hussen announced Canadian funding for six different projects in Mozambique. He stated that the funding will support projects “in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights, mental health and education for women and girls.”
The projects and funding amounts are listed below:
*Dollar amounts listed below are in CAD
- The University of Saskatchewan will receive $20 million in funding for the project Sexual and Reproductive Health for Young Women in Inhambane. This project aims to improve sexual, reproductive and maternal health and rights for adolescent girls and women in the province of Inhambane.
- The World Health Organization will receive $7 million in funding for the project Improving Data for Better Health Systems. This initiative will focus on improving the quality of routine data to contribute to and facilitate decision making focusing on sexual, reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health.
- The United Nations Development Programme will receive $12.5 million through Action for Girls and Young Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, an initiative involving UNESCO, UNICEF, the UN Population Fund and UN Women. This project aims to shift attitudes that negatively affect young women and to remove barriers that prevent young women from accessing the sexual and reproductive health rights services they want and need.
- The University of Washington will receive $5 million in funding for the project Empower Mental Health. This initiative focuses on strengthening existing health care and community-based systems of mental health care to address the mental health needs of the most vulnerable and underserved populations in the provinces of Manica and Sofala.
- Pathfinder International will receive $20 million in funding for Impacto II: Supporting Family Planning Services in Mozambique, a project that aims to improve gender equality in the Tete and Manica provinces by supporting adolescent girls and young women exercising their rights to autonomy and self-determination over their own bodies, as well as to accessing sexual and reproductive health services.
- Voluntary Service Overseas will receive $1.325 million in funding for Empowering Adolescent Girls to Learn and Earn. This project aims to expand the basic literacy, numeracy and skills development of 3,000 vulnerable and out-of-school adolescent girls.
Productive discussion with Mozambique's Prime Minister on advancing sustainable development goals and strengthening partnerships. Excited to explore avenues for cooperation in areas such as education, healthcare, protection of women & girls and sustainable economic development. pic.twitter.com/2V7AwuWbOB
— Ahmed Hussen (@HonAhmedHussen) March 15, 2024
Mozambique is Canada’s 9th largest recipient of foreign aid, receiving approximately 131 million CAD each year. Ethiopia is Canada’s largest recipient, who receives 206.5 million each year.
