Nampula Governor Calls for United Action Against Malnutrition as World Vision Elevates School Meals
By António Massipa, Regional Communications and Advocacy Director
The inaugural International Conference on Nutrition and Agribusiness concluded today with a clear and urgent appeal for unified action against malnutrition. Held over two days in Nampula province, north of Mozambique, the event convened stakeholders from across sectors to chart a path towards improved nutrition and food systems for Mozambique’s most vulnerable communities.
In a compelling keynote, Governor Eduardo Mariano Abdula urged development partners and civil society organisations to collaborate more intentionally, declaring, “You are our salvation,” and highlighting the critical value of shared knowledge, financial resources, and partnership. Emphasising that his call extended well beyond funding, he added, “I don’t just want money; I want us to work together on the ground.”
The Governor encouraged reflection on Mozambique’s two-decade-long battle against malnutrition, challenging all sectors to examine where collective efforts may have fallen short: “We have to ask ourselves what and where we are failing.”
A key participant at the conference was World Vision Mozambique, which shared its extensive experience in child-focused nutrition interventions. Central to its contribution was the school meal programme – a community-driven, multi-sectoral initiative that improves the dietary intake of children while strengthening local agriculture and markets. World Vision underscored the potential for school meals to act as a powerful bridge between improved child well-being and community resilience.
Discussions throughout the conference reaffirmed that malnutrition is a multi-dimensional challenge, rooted in poverty, low education levels, gender inequality, and climate shocks. World Vision advocated for localised, nutrition-sensitive strategies, integrated across education, agriculture, and health platforms.
As part of its ongoing advocacy, World Vision presented its ‘Enough’ campaign, championing a Mozambique where every child enjoys enough nourishing food so they can thrive. The campaign calls for bold action and greater accountability to ensure that all children have consistent access to nutritious food – because malnutrition is preventable, and every child deserves a chance at fullness of life.
Together with community champions, government partners and fellow agencies, World Vision reaffirms its commitment to eliminating hunger and malnutrition – one child, one community, one solution at a time.
