Country Living in Southern Africa

Looking back on one year in Mozambique from my point of view and frame of reference.

A year ago, we moved to come and manage a cattle farm in the Govuro district of Mozambique. We were excited, but also a bit scared of the unknown. We are quite far from a town. (Closest town for shopping, is Inhassoro and is more or less 1.5 hour’s drive away) We only have solar power with a generator for back-up. The generator is mainly used for pumping water, when we have loads of cattle around the house and they are drinking faster than the solar pumps can work.

Thankfully, we have Wi-Fi! This makes life much more bearable as we are a video-call away from our family and can keep up to date with news and social media. We do miss out on get-togethers, birthdays and events. That part isn’t easy.

In certain ways, the year felt very long, but it’s not a bad thing. Maybe it’s just the way that you get to observe the seasons here. We saw everything for the first time and are looking forward to see if things make a pattern and a full circle in the next year.

Because we are removed from society’s normal happenings, things also go slower. Even though farm-life and work can completely absorb you and tire you to other levels.

In a year’s time, we have expanded the vegetable garden and now rarely have to buy vegetables. We have a strong chicken population and haven’t had to buy eggs in a long time.

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We were also gifted two milk-goats of which one is currently in milk and produces enough milk for us to make cheese once or twice a week.

This past year, Mozambique also saw two major cyclones that brought massive destruction and devastation with them. Even though it was quite far from us, we watched everything unfold, because it was in the country we live in currently. Cyclone Idai

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Also, my blog is in general, a feel-good blog. Just because I don’t write about poaching, logging, deforestation and other bad things doesn’t mean they don’t affect us. It in fact has and hurts us deeply.

On a more positive note;

I have really enjoyed birdwatching here in the bush and I seriously need to compile a proper list of everything I have seen.

I have had so much fun with trailcamming this past year. Go and look at the awesome animals I have captured on my camera. Trailcamming

In the past year we have had so many special family-time moments. We loved exploring the beaches of Inhassoro and Vilankulo and will hopefully explore a bit more of that and inland in the year to come.

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I am very proud to have published my first children’s storybook in this past year. A story about a family visiting Kruger National Park, called “We are going to Kruger National Park”

A few random things I have learned this year in no specific order:

In the words of Theodore Roosevelt: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

It is lonelier to live in the city between people who pretend to care than it is to live in the middle of nowhere, but to know who your friends are.

We don’t need as many things that we are made to believe that we need.  (Appliances, gadgets, clothing etc.) Being far from any big shopping centres helps you to think very carefully about what you buy.

In the words of one of the Inhassoro Lodge owners: “When you have onions, tomatoes and rice, you can make a darn good meal.”

In the words of our closest next-door neighbour. “I am out of black tea, maybe I will go to town next week, or maybe the week thereafter…” This was a month ago. He still hasn’t gone.