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MAPUTO MOZAMBIQUE – Before I leave Mozambique I just wanted to write a bit about the people of Mozambique. This country was devastated by a 17-year civil war that ended in 1992.

A snapshot of village life in Bento, Chinde District, Mozambique

That might seem time enough for a good deal of healing to take place, and it has — Mozambique is a stable, peaceful, forward looking nation. But the scars are still here.

So many people I met along the way were born or grew up in refugee camps across the border in Zimbabwe, and so much vital infrastructure is still missing.

But the Mozambicans I met were invariably friendly, hospitable, and quick to laugh, often at their own expense. Even though a presidential election campaign is closing in fast, and partisans are extremely passionate, I didn’t sense a hint of potential unrest.

Indeed most of the Mozambicans I spoke with did not express their aspirations in regional, tribal or political terms, but rather in the language of community, right up to the larger community of Mozambique itself. There is a sense of directedness, a desire to lift Mozambique up that comes from a fundamental pride in being Mozambicans.

So I’ll leave by saying Kubatana! One of the most deeply imprinted memories I will take with me is the sound of communities in song. A refrain I heard over and over in these songs was ‘Kubatana! Kubatana!’ In the Ndau dialect spoken in Manica province, this means ‘United! United!’ or ‘Working together! Working together!’ And that’s the common thread here.

The three new solar powered pumps we saw are the product of almost two years of working together. Concern, its partner AKSM, community members and local government all worked together to bring clean, safe, reliable water to over 20,000 people.

And finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t emphasize that so much more Kubatana! is needed here. I am inviting you all to join this community.