Dear Diary...an entry from Mozambique

I've had a marathon of a day. These grueling hours are becoming the norm, yet strangely, I'm starting to really enjoy them. I just returned to my room after a delightful dinner with Sammy, my cameraman, at a charming spot called Mimmo's, a stone's throw away from our home away from home, Hotel Africa.

The warm evening air wrapped around us like a warm embrace,  Despite the wind's antics, the night was undeniably beautiful.

We are staying on the outskirts of the city and it's quite safe, at least in our neck of the woods. We stroll to and from the restaurant, each night, greeted now not with just Portuguese pleasantries but with genuine hellos.

Tonight, I indulged in a gift to myself—a glass of Vinho de Tinto, dry and rich. Ah, the fruit of our labor paired with prego and chips, served with a side of conversation with our waitress. Remarkably, she mastered English all on her own. Oh, how I miss my daughter's endless tales of school and friends.

I also miss my car, and Him.

Earlier, I had a live crossing with my colleague Ramah Nyang, it went like this: 

RAMAH: Terryanne, is Mozambique financing its own agricultural investments through taxes, or are they leaning towards external funding like Malawi?

TERRRYANNE: Ramah, Malawi's saga is a cautionary tale—a grand vision of self-sustainability undermined by an unsustainable funding model and weak negotiation. Mozambique's narrative, however, takes a different turn.

To address your first question, Mozambique isn't funding its investments through taxes. Consider this: a civil war that spanned two decades until 1992 ravaged the nation, leaving a scar on education and skilled labor. Consequently, the tax base remains scant.

Mozambique sits on a paradoxical precipice. While home to millions mired in poverty, it's also on the brink of transformative energy prominence.

The crux now lies in achieving balanced growth and fostering inclusivity. Noteworthy is the government's shift—leveraging not just new funding avenues but also positive investor sentiment to diversify support for sectors like Agriculture and Infrastructure.

Mozambique approaches the investor table as a collaborator. The collective hope of the people here is that growth cascades to every Mozambican doorstep.

Now to the next Portuguese class: Nao Fomadores—no smoking. A tangential tidbit, but knowledge shared is never wasted. Obrigada! 

Until next time, xx.