Anatercia is a 12-year-old girl living in a small village in southern Mozambique. After her father passed away and her mother became incapacitated due to chronic health issues, life became a daily struggle.   

She moved in with her elderly grandparents, and began to take on more and more adult responsibilities. She did most of the household chores and had to travel for hours every day to collect clean water. Water scarcity also meant that harvests were poor and there was never enough to eat.   

With your support, Caritas Australia’s local partner, Caritas Regional Chokwe was able to help Anatercia’s family to irrigate their farm to improve their food security, while also improving water access for households in the village. Her grandmother participated in sustainable farming training, while Anatercia received essential school supplies and access to psychosocial supports through a local health committee.  

Now, Anatercia can easily access clean drinking water, community members are able to grow healthy crops all year round, and there is enough nutritious food to eat. Anatercia has more time to study and do her homework, and hopes to fulfil her dream of becoming a nurse.