In the suburbs of Pemba, the
capital of Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique, the situation for many
displaced families due to terrorism violence is heartbreaking.
With no access to
humanitarian aid or employment opportunities, life for these people has become
a daily struggle for survival. Among these families is the story of Alfane
Abílio, a 27-year-old young man from the district of Ancuabe, who, like so many
others, was forced to leave his homeland to escape the war.
Alfane arrived in Pemba with
his wife, six children, grandmother, and four nephews, seeking refuge from the
violence that plagued the village of Nanduli in Ancuabe.
The escape was a painful but
necessary decision. In Pemba, although the hope for a better life pushed him
forward, the reality quickly proved difficult. Without a stable job, he found
himself forced to seek alternative ways to support his large family.
Each day, Alfane wakes up
early and heads to the streets in search of "biscates" – informal and
temporary jobs – trying to guarantee at least one meal for his children and
relatives.
However, life in the city is not easy. The competition for informal jobs, like that of a stevedore, is immense, and often, he returns home with nothing to show for his efforts.
When he does manage to earn
some money, it is small, making it increasingly difficult to feed everyone in
the household, especially with so many mouths to feed.
"It's very hard, life
here is not easy," Alfane says with sorrow. "Even with the work as a
stevedore, the money I earn is not enough to support my entire family. There
are days when I don't get anything, because there are many other stevedores,
and when there is work, the income is very little."
Alfane mentions that there
are many barriers to finding better work. "If I could get another type of
job, like a guard or anything that would guarantee me a stable income, I would
leave the stevedore work immediately," he explains.
He also feels a great
longing for the activities he used to do in the district of Ancuabe, where he
practiced farming. "I lived off agriculture in my district, and there we
could sustain ourselves with what we produced on the land. Here in Pemba, I
feel lost. I have no way to cultivate, and what is left for me is to fight
daily so that my family doesn't go hungry," he says, frustrated.
Although the situation is extremely difficult, Alfane does not lose hope. He dedicates himself every day to the fight for survival, trying to ensure that his family does not go a day without food. However, he feels that something more is needed to change his reality.
The lack of opportunities
for young people like him, in a city that does not have enough infrastructure
to accommodate all the displaced people, makes the future seem bleak.
What hurts the most is the
uncertainty of a better future, while he watches many other young people in the
same situation. "Myself and other young people are here in Pemba, trying
to survive, but without opportunities. The lack of employment is what forces us
to take any job, like that of a stevedore, just to secure our daily
bread," says Alfane.
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The speaker feels that, if
conditions improved, he could even return to his homeland, but for now,
survival keeps him in the city, where the fight for survival is his top
priority.
Alfane's story is just one
of many, reflecting the struggles of thousands of people who, due to terrorism
and lack of support, have been forced to live in precarious conditions with no
prospects of change in the near future. (Seven
Mussa)
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