Meet Zito: A Farmer, A Father, A Future in Zambézia, Mozambique

His name is Zito Arcanjo Domingos.

He is the president of COJAZ — Cooperativa dos Jovens Agropecuários da Zambézia. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Maputo Bridge Capital, founded by Anselmo Boaventura, connects sponsors with verified smallholder farmers like Zito to foster sustainable agricultural growth in Mozambique.

He is 32 years old and has been farming for 5 years. He grows maize, cabbage, cowpea, sesame, and tomato on land in Muaquiua, a village in Zambézia province, Mozambique. His farm is located at GPS coordinates -16.70389, 37.37083.

The Land

Zito's cooperative has access to 500 hectares of land, which is 1,235 acres. This area is larger than Central Park in New York City. The land was transferred through a legal contract known as a Cessão de DUAT (transfer of land use rights).

The legal representative handling the documentation for these land rights is Anselmo Boaventura, a lawyer and the founder of Maputo Bridge Capital. The cooperative ensures that land is managed productively, serving as the foundation for the agricultural activities of its 44 members.

The Cooperative

COJAZ has 44 members. Three are founding members with 5 years of farming experience:

1. Zito Arcanjo Domingos — Quelimane — M-Pesa: 843697570 — Maize, cabbage, cowpea, sesame, tomato
2. Alexandre Chico Xavier — Quelimane — M-Pesa: 846559144 — Maize, tomato, pepper, cucumber
3. Cassimo Rodrigues Xavier Arivo — Quelimane — M-Pesa: 846047868 — Tomato, pepper, rice

The other 41 members are younger farmers with 2 years of experience. They are spread across three areas in Zambézia: Quelimane/Madal/Varela, Mocuba/Namanjavira, and Mugeba/Muaquiua. They produce a variety of crops, including maize, cowpea, soybean, sesame, cabbage, tomato, pepper, cucumber, and Reno potato.

The Satellite

Every 5 days, the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 satellite passes over Muaquiua, capturing multispectral imagery at 10-meter resolution to measure NDVI, a common indicator of plant health.

While satellite imagery is used in research to monitor environmental shifts like drought, at Maputo Bridge Capital, this technology serves as a tool for transparency. By verifying field conditions, the satellite helps ensure that the support provided reaches the intended farming operations. When a sponsor contributes from $25, they receive receipts from the local seed and fertilizer shop along with field photos, bridging the gap between the donor and the soil.

The Credit Score

Zito has a credit score of 608 out of 850. In Mozambique, where a large portion of the economy is informal, establishing such metrics is an area of ongoing research for improving agricultural access.

His score was calculated using six factors:

1. Satellite NDVI (25%): 25/100 — low because it is dry season
2. Mobile money activity (25%): 30/100 — new to the platform
3. Weather risk (15%): 80/100 — good rainfall, 23.7°C average temperature
4. Farm profile (20%): 100/100 — 11.4 hectares, 5 years farming, cooperative member
5. Repayment history (10%): 50/100 — first cycle, no history yet
6. Community verification (5%): 100/100 — verified by Anselmo Boaventura

This framework represents a vision for how data could one day support farmers who operate without traditional collateral or formal banking history.

The Carbon Future

Research into agroforestry, where trees are planted alongside crops, suggests a potential for future carbon sequestration. The concept involves using satellite verification to track the growth of trees, which could theoretically allow farmers to participate in carbon credit markets.

If implemented at scale, this system could theoretically absorb thousands of tons of CO2 over a decade, providing a recurring, long-term revenue stream for farmers. This is an aspirational model for rural development, focusing on how emerging blockchain and satellite technologies might be integrated into Mozambican agriculture in the future to improve farmer yields and overall economic security.

What Zito Needs

Zito and his 43 colleagues in the COJAZ cooperative are ready to plant on November 1, 2026. The rainy season starts, the soil is prepared, and the cooperative is organized for the upcoming planting cycle. While satellite technology allows for monitoring of land health and crop progression, the core requirement remains access to quality inputs.

$25 provides the essential seeds for one farmer for one season. MBC, founded by Anselmo Boaventura in Fort Worth, Texas, ensures this process is transparent. When you choose to sponsor a farmer, 92% of your contribution goes directly to the farmer's local seed and fertilizer shop in Mozambique to secure the necessary supplies, while 8% covers field verification and receipt documentation. You receive the receipt and field photos as proof of where your contribution went. After the harvest, farmers repay the value into a Community Fund, which is then used to sponsor the next farmer in the cooperative.

Why Zito Matters

Zito is not a statistic or a poverty figure in a report; he is a dedicated farmer leading 44 young people in the COJAZ cooperative in Zambezia. He took the initiative to organize the group, secure land rights, and connect with MBC to seek assistance. By managing 500 hectares of land, he represents the potential of sustainable smallholder agriculture. All he needs is the support to procure seeds, which is a modest amount—less than what many people spend on coffee in a single week—to empower his entire season.

How to Help

You can support the agricultural cycle by contributing to these efforts:

• $25 — Seeds for one farmer.
• $50 — PICS storage bags, which can save 30-40% of the harvest from pests.
• $100 — Full season sponsorship including seeds, inputs, and monitoring costs.
• $500 — Sponsor a farmer for an entire year of activities.

Zito and his team are waiting for the planting season to begin. Learn more about the process by visiting how sponsoring a farmer works or explore our list of farmers.

The Farmer's Season

For a smallholder farmer in Zambézia, the arrival of the rainy season on November 1 is the most critical time of the year. This season determines their food security and income potential. By securing seeds early, farmers ensure they can plant on time, allowing for optimal growth cycles and better harvest yields. The Community Fund model ensures that once the harvest is complete, the support continues to flow, allowing the next farmer in the cooperative to access the same inputs without delay.

Frequently asked questions

What are PICS bags? They are hermetic storage containers designed to keep harvested crops safe from insects and moisture, helping prevent post-harvest loss of up to 40%.

Why is the start date of November 1 important? It marks the beginning of the rainy season in this region of Mozambique, which dictates the timing for successful planting and crop establishment.

What happens after a farmer harvests their crops? Farmers repay the equivalent value of their sponsorship into a Community Fund, which is used to provide the same opportunity to another farmer in the cooperative.

If you would like to support Zito and other farmers, you can sponsor a farmer from $25. Please note that sponsorships are gifts, not investments, and are not tax-deductible.