Mezimbite deals with these four basic activities:

Food security by training the community in organic home growing food systems and programs to improve food security and nutritional benefits. Food grown in a nutritious and healthy way (organic) for not only the planet but the people who are going to eat it. Volumes need to exceed subsistence in order to relieve poverty and create modest wealth by trading the surpluses. It must also be climate change resilient. More than 90% of Mozambicans are reliant on wood for cooking fuel, as charcoal is more economical to transport in cities. There are many alternatives, most of which are too expensive and cause collateral damage to use. So, while we still search for the silver bullet of no-impact fuel, we need to make sure that we plant back at least as much as we consume in the preparation of our food. Food Security is about nutritious, delicious, cooked food, not producing agricultural commodities.
Protect and restore Biodiversity and Biomass by creating and growing indigenous alternatives to the continued consumption of forests and the landscape, based on the training process that makes sense for communities to give value and follow through on their own initiative. The re-planting of original biodiversity forests (as close as we can get), which absorb and store carbon in revitalised soils and forest biomass over long periods of time, also helps Offset Carbon emissions from other parts of the globe.
Change the micro, local and regional climate by restoring biomass (indigenous as far as possible), creating seasonal shade and shelter, reducing the extreme pressure differentials, consequently moderating wind speeds, andimproving moisture management, improving Soil Life and Hydrology.
Creating alternatives to the neo-colonial resource management practice currently in place, which are more sustainable and regenerative, and whereby both the responsibilities and benefits of resource use are distributed more equitably. The big issue here is to do the value add locally and for the "resource owners" to move as high up as the value chain as possible:
1. Training: While the idea of doing value-added on-site is great. However, it requires skills. In developed countries, there are competent technical colleges, courses and apprenticeships, etc. Where we work, none of that exists. The range of training, technology and skill transfer is very diverse. Absolute poverty prevents people from learning subsistence activities, getting training to improve skills and consequently their livelihoods. So subsidies, while in training, become a necessity. By using the learning-by-doing technique, we open up opportunities for rural groups whose access to any type of training is almost non-existent. In this way, we promote the empowerment of communities, with a focus on women, so that they can reach their potential and find financial and environmental benefits that make sense.
2. Incubating: economic empowerment combined with training, communities gain skills to improve the conversion, processing, sale and consumption of products. A local upward helix of economic activity via small local businesses. Those who respect each other not just as units of labour, but as consumers and consequently stakeholders, this means trading with each other to increase the velocity of money. Starting with the basics:
  1. Food and what is needed to prepare and serve it
  2. Shelter and what is in it to be comfortable
  3. Clothing and accessories
  4. Hygiene and personal care
  5. Education and self-actualisation
  6. Energy and movement
3. Sectors where we concentrate now (forest resources):
  1. Wooden Products:
    1. For construction and joinery
    2. Fine furniture
    3. Household goods
    4. Tabletop, food prep and service
    5. Garden
    6. Home office
    7. Educational aids and toys
  2. NTFP's:
    1. Mostly lipids for food and personal care
    2. Fibre for upholstery
    3. Vegetable Ivory
    4. Fruits, Nuts, and Infusions (wild harvest coffee and teas)
  3. Organic Regenerative Agroforestry:
    1. Pulsars
    2. Fresh vegetables
    3. Staples
    4. Oilseeds
    5. Small animals, fish and poultry
    6. Fibre
    7. Fruits and nuts
  4. Organic consumer-ready products:
    1. Food and beverages, mostly plant-based, until we can afford a vet.
    2. Fibre, cotton, jute and kapok.
    3. Fuel, charcoal and biogas, and fuel efficiency, improved distribution, stoves and insulated slow cooker bags, and of course growing back the trees traditionally used for firewood and charcoal.
  5. Social infrastructure, community health and education via theatre/performance, incubators, buying/saving clubs, poultry coops, etc.
While the priority is to develop local products for local people, to grow the local economy, all goods need to be the best we can make, and consequently, we can accelerate growth by exporting surplus production.

A man dressed as a chef, wearing a white uniform and hat, is chopping greens in a rustic outdoor kitchen with fresh tomatoes, leafy vegetables, and cooking supplies on the table.

Close-up of a person's hands holding a handful of oat grains over a red bag filled with more oat grains.

A bird nest with two baby birds sitting inside among green leaves on a tree.

A large snail on dirt ground near a person's foot, with green grass and leaves around.

Two men, one in a white shirt and the other in a khaki uniform, are planting a small tree in a grassy field, with a cloudy sky above.

A woman planting a small tree in the soil, surrounded by dry grass and green plants in a natural outdoor setting.

A woman woodworking in a rustic open-air workshop. She is using a hammer on a circular wooden piece. The workshop has stacks of wood and tools, with a thatched roof and outside greenery visible.

Pink and white flowers among green leaves with round green buds.

A small wooden table with three chairs in a room. On the wall, there are three photos of outdoor scenes, including a sunset and people spending time at the beach. The table has colorful binders, pink and purple leis, a desktop computer, and a stack of papers.

Tall coconut palm tree with clusters of coconuts surrounded by lush green tropical vegetation under a partly cloudy blue sky.

Man sitting at a table displaying wooden art pieces with various carved patterns.

Tall wooden block tower with various shapes and sizes, including cylinders, rectangles, and triangles, displayed outdoors under a thatched roof.

A wooden abacus with five horizontal rods, each holding a series of red and black beads.

Woodworking workshop with workers operating tools and stacks of wood in a rustic, open-sided shed.

A round wooden table with a natural woodgrain pattern and geometric inlays, set outdoors on sand or soil with some grass and leaves around.

Stacks of wooden planks stored under a makeshift shed with tree branches supporting the structure, on a dirt ground.

A large, unfinished wooden table with intricate inlay patterns, resting outdoors on dirt and surrounded by scattered wood pieces.

A butterfly chrysalis hanging from a tree branch in a grassy field during sunset with trees in the background.

Close-up of a sliced ripe jackfruit showing its fibrous interior and black seeds.

A wooden tray with white eggs decorated with yellow and green floral patterns, placed on a black tablecloth with large yellow polka dots.

Four children picking vegetables in a sunflower field. Two children carry large black trays filled with leafy greens on their heads, while the other two children hold vegetables and plants. The sky is blue with a few clouds.

A young man outdoors smiling and holding two colorful patterned pillows, with trees and grass in the background.

A man wearing a white lab coat standing at a stainless steel table, looking at a small bottle, with various containers and measuring cups nearby, in a rustic room.