Mozambique: Flying The Coop
Little over a year and a half ago I realized that sitting in an office and trying to solve other people’s problems just wasn’t going to make me happy, in fact I was pretty unhappy with my life. It seemed as if weekends and vacations were all that was keeping me together. So at the age of 29 I decided to quit my job as an attorney and change my life.
Mozambique: Flying The Coop
Posted by Mozambique blog by Reitz Krige on 15 Sep 2011, 13:59
Categories: Travel News
With my new found freedom and the rest of my life staring me in the face I took a trip up to Mozambique to go visit an old friend who had started a coco peat factory in a small town called Morrumbene, which is in Inhambane province. After spending 3 short weeks fishing, swimming, relaxing and looking into the opportunities in Mozambique, I made up my mind to start a chicken (egg production) farm in Morrumbene.
After the holiday I returned to South Africa to make arrangements and pack up my life in the Cape. I returned to Mozambique 3 months later with a bakkie full of belongings and a lot of optimism.
Since starting out in Mozambique there have been many ups and downs. I can tell you that starting a farming operation in a new country, with a different language and with virtually no farming background is definitely a gigantic challenge. As far as the business goes I have built up the necessary infrastructure (i.e. chicken houses, water, electricity, fencing etc) on the farm to house 4000 layers and have secured the necessary financing to purchase 4000 point of lay hens. I hope to put the hens in within the next 2 months. I will also start building the next chicken house with the capacity to house an additional 2000 hens before the end of the year.
On a more introspective note: I was initially quite scared of my friends and family’s reaction to my decision to relocate to Mozambique. I feared a barrage of difficult questions and condemnation. But in the end I was pleasantly surprised by the support and admiration people actually expressed. It was as if I was living every trapped office worker’s dream. My parents were specifically supportive and understanding, which is pretty impressive taking into consideration my dad is a conservative attorney.
Morrumbene is quite remote and leaving my friends and family behind was very difficult. I was however lucky in as far as I already had friends living in the area and have also made a few fantastic new ones.
Despite the many difficulties I have faced here, Mozambique really is a wonderful place with lots to offer. I especially enjoy the year round warm weather, great fishing, abundance of seafood, vibrancy of the local market place, the beaches etc.
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In future blogs I hope to share some amazing Mozambican recipes, fishing stories, travel tips and other interesting tales about life out here.
