Bread Riots

Mozambique is a poor country so any increase in the cost of living can have dramatic effects. Last week, a 30% rise in the cost of bread, along with fuel and utilities price hikes, sparked protests in the capital and other urban areas across the country. Unfortunately, some of the mobilizations turned violent and 13 people lost their lives during several days of disruptions and confusion. We were far from danger out in our rural town, but all of us here have felt the effects of rising food prices and the diminishing purchasing power of our Metical (the local money). Peace Corps always takes good case of its volunteers and has a thorough Emergency Action Plan for situations like these, so even though complete safety can never be guaranteed, we are just as safe here as our readers in America or elsewhere. In an unrelated story, some of you may have heard the news of the killing of our colleague in Lesotho. Apparently he was shot during an attempted robbery
in the capital city of Maseru. Tragedy can strike anyone anywhere; we will continue to make the most of the precious gift of life we enjoy living each day to the fullest during our service here in Southern Africa.