Ntotwe Village, Mocimboa da Praia District, Cabo Delgado

Ntotwe village sprawls beside a bustling road, amidst banana plantations and mud houses with thatched roofs. At noon, children swap school uniforms for soccer jerseys, blending normalcy with underlying trauma. 

Located between Mueda and Mocimboa da Praia, the village has endured at least five recent attacks from the armed groups, the latest in January 2024. It left over 50 houses burned, and the school and church partially destroyed. “We are traumatized,” villagers share. “We used to love traditional music, but now even the sound of drums makes our hearts stop, fearing another attack.”

Sofia Sumail and her husband Ayubo, lifelong residents of Ntotwe, lost everything in the last attack. “After they burned our house, Ayubo and our elder children salvaged materials from the rubble to start rebuilding,” Sofia says. They temporarily live in a neighbour's house but know they must leave soon.  

Days after the attack, Solidarités International mobilized their rapid response mechanism supported by the IOM-managed NFI Common Pipeline, distributing survival kits to families with damaged homes. "Having access to high-quality materials quickly through the Pipeline allows us to support people in crisis efficiently," says Renaud Douci, Field Coordinator at Solidarités International.

The shelter toolkits and tarps received are helping Ayubo rebuild their house. In addition to the tools, they received mosquito nets, kitchen sets, tarpaulins, blankets, solar lamps, and mats. “Losing everything made us wonder how we would survive here. But we want to stay because this is our home. The support from humanitarian organizations gave us the push we needed to move forward,” Sofia explains.

Catarina Faustino cooks Mingoko, a staple tuber from the Mocimboa da Praia region, as she reflects on the daily struggle to overcome the immense hardships of the past. The attacks have taken everything from her, sparing only her life. “My son couldn't escape. He was shot and killed,” she shares with sadness.

Yet, Catarina and her family refuse to surrender. Together with their community, they continuously rebuild their lives, defending their homeland. She lives with her husband and children, Latifa (15) and Damaso (10). “After our house was burned down a second time, we nearly left. But we grew stronger and, with the help of the tools and materials we have received, we rebuilt once more,” Catarina reveals. They also received support from the Common Pipeline through Solidarités International.

“We often feel scared. The terrorists are still around; we sometimes hear them in the nearby forest. The last attack was so devastating that we considered leaving. But we are strong. We decided to stay and rebuild our lives here,” Catarina concludes.

Since 2021, more than 106,900 families have received critical support through the NFI Common Pipeline following violence or displacement in Cabo Delgado. This assistance is pivotal in helping displaced families recover and rebuild, whether by repairing their homes or facilitating swift resettlement. Their resilience underscores an unwavering determination to persevere despite daunting challenges, and this support acts as a beacon of hope, ensuring these families can reconstruct their lives and flourish amidst adversity. 

The NFI Common Pipeline is supported by the USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO), Irish Aid, the Embassy of Norway in Mozambique, and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Recently, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) bolstered the Pipeline by donating essential supplies to assist a further 24,000 families in need.