TEAR Australia's Community Health and Empowerment Project recognises that Mozambican women are key to transforming the lives of their families and communities. However, their efforts are hampered by a high burden of preventable illness, limited health knowledge, low levels of literacy and reduced livelihood opportunities.

In response to this, TEAR Australia – in partnership with Oasis Mozambique – are seeking to empower women in the Manga Loforte Settlement, Beira, to improve their health knowledge and practice standards in their families and communities, improve their literacy and increase their household incomes. The project will directly benefit at least 2500 people, representing more than 2000 households.

So far the focus has been on increasing the project communities' understanding around safe hygiene and sanitation practices, and to implement health promotion training to assist in decreasing child morbidity and mortality. This is being implemented through the development, support and strengthening of a Care Group Model, where Mother-Leaders are empowered and educated in various topics focusing on health and hygiene issues. These Mother-Leaders are then commissioned to extend the training to their neighbours within their communities.

The project will now build on this its early achievements by introducing adult literacy programming; selecting and training local women as Adult Literacy Trainers to address low levels of literacy among women. It will also introduce savings and loans through supporting the development of Self-Help Groups, along with training in income generating activities to address household incomes. As part of the sustainability strategy, in addition to the development of local facilitators (Mother-Leaders, Adult Literacy Trainers), the project will also continue to develop the capacity of a Community Development Committee, to initiate, facilitate and sustain local development initiatives.

Overall, the project will lead to improved wellbeing across the project communities, with improved capacity in the communities to initiate and promote their own development opportunities.

This project is led by TEAR Australia and is funded through Australian Aid from the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).

In 2015-16 through the ANCP, Australian Aid supported 18 NGOs to deliver 53 projects in 28 countries focusing on health and education.