Gazen, an isolated settlement less than an hour from the center of the Mozambican capital.

Afonso Sherinda has been waiting 30 minutes for the only boat that gives access to Gazena, a community of more than 200 people isolated by an arm of the Incomati River, 30 kilometers from the center of the Mozambican capital.

“When the tide is in, we have to use the boat. But when the tide is low, we really cross the river on foot,” says Lusa Afonso Sherinda, 33, on the shore, waiting for people living in the community to arrive, so the only unreliable boat that makes the crossing makes the first trip of the day.

It’s almost 9:00 am (8:00 am in Lisbon) and the tide is relatively low today.

Some residents are already taking the risk of hiking, carrying bundles on their heads and their children on their knees for the crossing, always careful not to slip in the typical mud along the banks of each detour of the 287 kilometers that form the Incomati River in Mozambique.

“The boat stops running at 16:00. At this time, when there is usually already a tide, there are many people who are not yet at home. […] Children who have to go to school suffer the most. They come to school dirty and with wet textbooks when the tide is in,” explains Lusa Angelo Chichava, another Gazena resident.

When the sun goes down, getting in and out of the village is impossible, even in an emergency, explains fisherman Alberto Timane, a resident of the area since 1978.

“When my wife became pregnant, shortly before giving birth, I went to leave her at a relative’s house in the city. I couldn’t risk her going into labor at night and we wouldn’t be able to leave here for the hospital.” , says fisherman Lusa.

Today, on its maiden voyage, the ship, whose only guarantee of safety is a rope stretched between the two shores, sets off with five people, but the tide is very low, and the boat gets stuck in one of the sand dunes.

The young crew, local fishermen, must climb down to push the boat to the other side, while Afonso and other passengers help remove water that has invaded the already visibly degraded vessel.

“This is a really unreliable vessel and I don’t think safety is the best option. Fortunately, so far we have not had a single accident. two years ago.

But the dilemma of those who live in Gazen is not only about moving, the area located in the Marracuene region is isolated from the rest of the Mozambican capital: there are no hospitals, no schools, no drinking water, no police station.

The apparent silence that reigns in the community, far from the typical hustle and bustle of the capital’s urban centre, does not hide the desperation of the families living on their own in Ghazen, a paradox in which the misery of an abandoned population in the middle of nowhere mixes with the natural spectacle offered by one of the many beautiful beaches that is in Maputo.

“The structures have knowledge, but these problems are many years old. […] It seems to me that Gazen has been forgotten,” says Zita Pedro, a local merchant.

The authorities admit they are aware of the difficulties of the community’s residents, but remind that the lack of resources to finance infrastructure is a common dilemma in the 154 districts that make up the Mozambican territory.

“We have spoken to some operators and some investors to support us in creating the conditions. Even the issue of the bridge, which is necessary, we have already referred to the district administrative structures,” says Pires Manisa, adviser to the administrative structure. Lusa.

Until decisions are made when the sun sets, the more than 200 families living in Gazen will remain isolated from the rest of the world, even if they live less than an hour from the center of the Mozambican capital.