Geographically Mozambique is about twice the size of California | There are 23 million people living in Mozambique | Close to half of the population is under 18 years old | Life expectancy is 31.7 years | 1 in 10 babies die before the age of 1 | United Nations cites Mozambique as the 4th poorest country in the world | Over 3/4 of the population live on less than $1 a day | 1 in 5 children are malnourished | 1.4 million orphans (1/2 million due to losing parents to HIV/AIDS) | 15% of the population have HIV | Only 43% of the population have access to clean water | Only 40% of Mozambicans are literate | Around 2/3rds of the population are Muslim and/or adhere to traditional African religions | Had a 15 year civil war in which 1 million lost their lives and another 5 million were displaced
The Makhuwa are the largest people group in Mozambique (around 35% of the population) | The great majority of the Makhuwa people live in northern Mozambique in the provinces of Nampula, Niassa, and Cabo Delgado (the green area on the map to the left). There are significant numbers also living in Tanzania and Madagascar. | Less than 1% are evangelical Christians | The Makhuwa’s religion is a mixture of folk Islam and traditional African beliefs/practices | Though unreached recently there has been great receptivity among the Makhuwa | The Wesleyan Church began work in the north 4 years ago and already 30 churches have been planted (the red dots on the map on the right)
1902 – work began with Mozambican miners in South Africa |Rev. Graca Nhatelo – national superintendent | Unprecedented growth – 3850 in 2000, 5850 in 2004, 15000 in 2008, 20000 in 2009 – fastest growing Wesleyan work worldwide | Churches planted in 8 out of the 10 provinces | 187 total churches in 2008 (work has recently begun in the Muslim north and in 5 years there have been 40 churches planted)
