When Jesus Said Feed My Sheep: 44 Farmers in Zambézia Are Waiting
September 19, 2026 — Muaquiua, Zambézia, Mozambique
When Jesus said "feed my sheep," he called for direct action in supporting those in need. Today, Maputo Bridge Capital (MBC), founded by Anselmo Boaventura in Fort Worth, Texas, enables sponsors to answer this call by connecting them with verified smallholder farmers in the Zambézia province of Mozambique.
The 44
They are the members of COJAZ — Cooperativa dos Jovens Agropecuários da Zambézia. A cooperative of young farmers who have done everything right:
- They organized themselves into a cooperative
- They secured access to 500 hectares of land (GPS: -16.70389, 37.37083)
- They registered with M-Pesa mobile money accounts
- They identified their crops: maize, rice, beans, sesame, tomato, pepper, cabbage
- They reached out for help
They did not wait for a government program. They did not wait for an NGO to find them. They organized. They asked. They are ready.
Three Founding Members
Zito Arcanjo Domingos — President of COJAZ. 5 years farming. Crops: maize, cabbage, cowpea, sesame, tomato. Based in Quelimane.
Alexandre Chico Xavier — Founding member. 5 years farming. Crops: maize, tomato, pepper, cucumber. Based in Quelimane.
Cassimo Rodrigues Xavier Arivo — Founding member. 5 years farming. Crops: tomato, pepper, rice. Based in Quelimane.
These are real people. Meet the farmers at our portal.
The Land
500 hectares at Povoado de Muaquiua, Zambézia. The cooperative structure is supported by legal land management practices. This is not a theoretical project; it is a cooperative with 44 named members, and a planting date of November 1, 2026.
How Sponsorship Works
Sponsorships through MBC are gifts, not investments, and are not tax-deductible. A sponsor gives from $25. Of this amount, 92% goes directly to the farmer's local seed and fertilizer shop, while 8% covers field verification and receipt documentation. Here is the process:
- Your $25 enters the platform via a secure process.
- The funds are directed to the farmer's local seed and fertilizer shop.
- The farmer receives the supplies needed to plant.
- You receive receipts and field photos documenting the transaction.
- On November 1, the farmer plants.
- Every 5 days, the Sentinel-2 satellite photographs the crops.
- You receive updates showing growth.
- In March 2027, the harvest arrives.
- The farmer repays into a Community Fund that sponsors the next farmer.
$25 plants a farmer's season in Zambézia.
Paid straight to the local seed shop. You get the receipt, a field photo and a harvest update.
A gift, not an investment. Not tax-deductible.
The Satellite and Future Tech
To ensure transparency, MBC explores the use of Sentinel-2 satellite imagery to monitor crop health. By measuring the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from 400 kilometers above Earth, it is possible to scientifically track vegetation density. Future research directions in agricultural technology for Mozambique include the potential for blockchain-based logs to ensure immutable record-keeping of transactions and remote sensing to verify sustainable farming practices. These concepts represent the future of agricultural accountability.
A Smallholder Farmer's Season
For a smallholder farmer in Zambézia, the arrival of the rains in November is the most critical juncture of the year. With the soil softened and seeds provided by sponsorship, the farmer moves from the preparation phase to active planting. Through the harvest in March, the farmer focuses on crop maintenance, ensuring that the yield is sufficient to feed their family and contribute to the community cycle, allowing for future planting seasons through the Community Fund.
The Carbon Harvest
Integrating trees alongside crops, known as agroforestry, offers the potential for long-term ecological and economic benefits.
- 500 hectares × agroforestry = 36,500 tons of CO2 over 10 years.
- At $15/ton = $547,500 in potential carbon revenue.
While this is a research and growth focus, the vision is to create recurring income for a decade, helping farmers sustain their livelihoods well beyond the initial planting season.
Frequently asked questions
What determines when a farmer begins planting? Planting begins when the seasonal rains arrive, typically around November 1, which softens the soil and provides the necessary moisture for seeds.
How is crop health measured from space? Satellite technology uses multispectral imagery to measure the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which calculates plant health and vegetation density.
What is the role of the Community Fund? After the harvest is sold, farmers repay into a Community Fund, which is then used to sponsor the next farmer in the cooperative.
44 Names. 44 Souls.
Zito. Alexandre. Cassimo. Augusto. Aboo. Abel. Antonio. Daluz. Emercia. Flora. Menducha. Teresa. Bonifacio. Francedo. Luisa. José. Judite. Beto. Felismina. Dinamarcia. Juvencio. Suzana. Isa. Ruti. Esteves. Dulce. Adriano. Neto. Filipe. Filipe. Mario. Gloria. Juleca. Mercia. Paula. Cecilia. Lidia. Armone. Arsenio. Alferes. Tomas. Miguel. Nela.
To participate in this mission, you can sponsor a farmer starting from $25. Please remember that these sponsorships are gifts to support smallholder farmers in Mozambique, not investments, and they are not tax-deductible.
