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The term "opitanha", used in the title of this study, denotes the very poorest and most marginalised in the Mozambican communities referred to in this paper. With the objective to inform policy, it explores poverty in Mozambique from a particularly multidimensional position.

The paper argues that, in many poverty analyses, too little emphasis is placed on distinguishing between different levels and types of poverty below set poverty levels. This, the authors argue, leads to a situation whereby the majority of people in countries like Mozambique are defined as target groups while bypassing the most deprived sections of poor populations.

Some policy recommendations resulting from the study include:

• access to further education should be improved, and provision should be made for young mothers to continue their education after pregnancy
• for the very poorest families, targeted interventions are necessary not only in the form of economic resources but also by facilitating social relationships
• higher returns on agricultural production remain the main option for social mobility and well-being for the majority of the poorest, and should be the focus of government policies
• improved access to markets (through local road networks) and improved bargaining positions vis-a-vis external traders (through associations) are the key to enhancing income and consumption from agriculture - both should be further developed, with a focus on the active involvement of women
• growing support for community-wide approaches, since the end of the civil war, should be further encouraged through mutual agreements between the State and communities, where relevant, in partnership with civil society and non-government organisations.

[adapted from author]

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