We have established a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maputo Environmental Protection Area Authority (APAM) to launch a pilot project aimed at restoring 12 hectares of degraded land by creating a bamboo and endemic species forest. This initiative will involve planting 4,000 bamboo seedlings and 1,600 endemic plants, fostering a resilient ecosystem and a functional mixed forest. The project will also work to restore soil integrity, enhance biodiversity, and create a natural barrier against erosion, while generating employment and learning opportunities in forest management and sintropic agriculture. Furthermore, it seeks to empower and engage local communities and explore the economic potential of bamboo, laying the groundwork for a local bamboo product industry. This strategic partnership underscores our commitment to environmental restoration, community empowerment, and sustainable economic development in the region.
In collaboration with key stakeholders such as INGD, Casa Congo, Jaime Peña Studio, Ayuda en Acción, and Xi Bassile, we are designing a project for Disaster Resilient Bamboo Social Housing. Drawing inspiration from the KUNA project implemented by Casa Congo in Nicaragua, our goal is to tackle the housing deficit and empower vulnerable communities in Mozambique. The project focuses on developing, testing, and building low-cost, disaster-resilient homes using bamboo and other bioconstruction materials. Additionally, we aim to establish a holistic social and economic ecosystem that enables a bamboo value chain. The project will unfold in three phases: 1. Prototyping – testing and refining four culturally adapted, low-cost housing typologies; 2. Pilot Project Implementation – building resilient homes based on successful prototypes; and 3. Scaling Up – expanding the solution to address the broader housing deficit in Mozambique.