An interview with World Vision Canada’s Philip Maher

World Vision has worked in Mozambique since 1984. In the past decade alone, World Vision has established 30 Area Development Programs throughout the country. More than 80,000 children are benefiting through child sponsorship, food security, health, nutrition, HIV and AIDS interventions and micro-enterprise development.

Philip, where are you now?

I’m in the Mozambican town of Chibuto, 700 km from the border with South Africa. From here, I can see how deeply this situation reaches into Mozambique.  People are moving past in vans and trucks, heading home to their families.  The violence in South Africa is not just touching people on the border of Mozambique; this affects people right across the country.

Describe the people who are coming back.

It’s mainly men, as these were the people who had left Mozambique for work in South Africa.  In some cases they have a wife or girlfriend with them.  These men are returning without any money.  Some have suitcases but in most cases, they’re coming back with almost nothing.  Usually when they return it’s like Christmas; they bring money and goods, but now they’re coming back poor and destitute.

Have people been directly affected by violence in South Africa?

Many have.  Moses Tivane, for example, ran a little barbershop with this three younger brothers.  He’d been in South Africa for eight years.  “Men came to my room last week, they started taking things from me and my brothers then they hit me.” Moses has a large scar on his forehead and 7 stitches.

I asked Moses if he’s ever going back to South Africa and he said, “I send back money to my family here (in Mozambique). I own a home and support my mother and father and my four children.  My future is where my work is.  If I stay here (in Mozambique) I’ll starve.”

Have many men been working in South Africa for as long as Moses?

These are people who have basically been providing money for Mozambique for five, 10 and 20 years.  It’s really quite horrific when you think that people who have been providing a steady income to their families, are now suddenly thrown out of the country, or are chased out.

How will the return of these men affect their families?

In cases where men are supporting their families, people are relieved that they’re safe, and it’s kind of nice to see them.  A lot of people do come back every year to see their families.  But the relatives are also conflicted once they realize that there’s no longer a source of income.

What about men who hadn’t been supporting their families? 

There’s a very real potential for conflict here.  You’ve got men who left five or ten years ago, men who haven’t sent money back to Mozambique.  And now their wives have remarried, their families have assimilated into other families, their homes are now being lived in by other men who’ve married their wives.  And these men will go back to the community and they’ll want their families back, or their houses, or their wives.

Apart from the direct loss of income, what other economic impact are Mozambicans feeling?

Mozambique is a developing country, no factories, doesn’t produce goods.  So for years, Mozambicans have traveled to South Africa, purchased goods here, then brought them back home to sell.  Everything from fruits and vegetables to mattresses.

But now the road into South Africa has been blocked (by some South Africans) to prevent Mozambicans from re-entering, so Mozambicans can’t go down to purchase goods.  As a result, prices here have already increased, on things like potatoes, onions, cooking oils, chickens.  Everyone is affected somehow.