Mozambican Women's Day: April 7th!
Tomorrow is a very important day in Mozambique! It's a day where women are CELEBRATED. Recognized... seen... and appreciated. The day is marked by the death of the young Josina Machel. Machel was largely involved with FRELIMO and the liberation efforts of Mozambicans. She promoted women's participation in the process and fought for the human rights of all Mozambicans while also fighting for women's rights. She was diagnosed with liver cancer, sought treatment for a short period of time, but later came back to Mozambique to continue her efforts. She later died at the very young age of 25. You can read more about Josina Machel here.
This week in my English classes I asked students to write about why it's important to celebrate women here in Mozambique. I got a majority of responses focused on Josina Machel and her role in the independence of Mozambique and her marriage to Samora Machel. I also received a lot of responses about the parties their families were throwing and all of the food and refrescos people were going to have this weekend. But the students who really took their time and were thoughtful about this assignment provided answers that really hit me in the heart. I asked "what is the significance of Mozambican Women's Day" and "why is Mozambican Women's Day important for both men and women". Here are a few answers that I loved (translated):
"The concept of gender is just a concept" - Sergio
"We commemorate the Day of the Woman because it's not a favor (easy) to be a woman" - Luisa
"Celebrating women is important for all nations because discrimination still exists between men and women" - Raimundo
"We celebrate the value of our history and the fight for Mozambican women to affirm their identity and their rights" - Silencio
"We celebrate to remember the importance of women's rights in Mozambique" - Edgar
"This Mozambican holiday is important because it is important for our children to hug and love our mothers" - Eulanda
"Mozambican Women's Day is very important for all women. This was the day that our heroine Josina Machel lost her life and it also serves to remind us to be kind and to love all women."
- Eunice
"7 de Abril is a day that women can be happy and because of that all people can be happy." - Celma
"Women are fighters, women are couragous, women persistent in our dreams, women are the beautiful flower of the world." - Julieta
"This day is important because when my sister has to return home late at night she is afraid she will be injured." - Joni
If that last one doesn't just break your god damn heart I'm not sure what would... Reading these responses made me fall in love with my students all over again. I am so proud of them - boys and girls alike for being so strong in an often harsh world (same goes for my Denver North kids - miss you). Growing up is HARD... I'm reminded of that daily. But what I witness even more frequently is that growing up a girl can mean a loss of childhood. Here in Manje young girls spend their mornings doing chores, caring for siblings, fetching water... then they help prepare lunch before heading off to school. After school they have maybe an hour before they are expected home (if they aren't expected immediately to help prepare dinner and assuming they don't have to spend that hour walking home). When they get home they help with more chores and watch their siblings again. There is very little time to run around and play or hang out with friends (compared with the amount of time American teenagers get to run around free as birds). The second thing I've noticed is the girls who aren't daughters to the relatives they live with wind up doing even more work. The Cinderella complex Mozambique has going on really really gets to me. Oftentimes girls go to live with aunts and uncles in order to attend a high school because many rural towns only offer grades one through eight (or less). By living with their extended family they are expected to work to "earn their keep". Those girls quite seriously work all day long when they are not in school and essentially become the family maid. I could go on and on about the challenges women face: from lack of sufficient healthcare, to missing school because of menstruation, to gender-based and domestic violence, the list is endless. However, I do want this post to have an overall positive message, which is ultimately that WOMEN ARE BRILLIANT, RESILIENT, AND BRAVE. Before I highlight some of the wonderful Mozambican women I am lucky enough to call friends and family I want to provide some resources for you all to check out.
Water Themed:
Women Still Carry Most of the World's Water
Millions of Women Take a Long Walk with a 40 Pound Water Can
Gender and Water
Gender-Based Violence Themed:
Violence Against Women in Africa
Comprehensive Gender-Based Violence Resources and Information
Now, the fun part! All the fun-loving girls, teens, and mamas I've come to love!!!
Cremilda and Marina: These two were my very first introduction to strong independent Mozambican women. I don't think I would have made it through training without their love and support during all the ups and downs. Their patience while I was learning Portuguese, their acceptance of my love of napping, and their pushing me to spend time with friends to de-stress made me love my first few months in Mozambique despite them being some of the most challenging. Cremilda was constantly making me soups when I was sick, bought peanut butter because she knew it was my favorite, and would make me special portions of chicken because she knew I didn't love the fish. She was thoughtful and understanding and that made a world of difference when I was struggling to find my place. She called me her daughter from day one and still does. She constantly reminds me that I am forever a part of their family and for that I will always be so incredibly grateful.
Ludovina, Simplicia, Izaida, and Leonilde: My second stay with a host family proved challenging at first, becoming familiar with a whole new set of people was hard. But again, they welcomed me with open arms and treat me as family. I am constantly referred to as "tia" (aunt) or "mana" (sister) and they look out for me when I need help with anything. Leo is one of my students which sometimes can feel weird because I have a huge soft spot for her but in the classroom I'm still "Professora Alechandra". This family spoils me with foods from their farm and are always stopping by to give me baby time with Elias and Lofa. After watching them all come together while Elias was sick I have a newfound respect and admiration for what it means to be a family in Mozambique. Some of the strongest women I know are a part of my host family here in Manje and their presence in my life and in my service makes me happy and grateful.
Catarina: My first Mozambican friend! She is a co-worker at the school with me and quickly took me on as her responsibility. She always makes sure I know where to be and when, how to dress, and the general plan. I love her company and it's been so nice to have someone who checks in on me from time to time and stops by just to chat! She also has the best kids in the world and I love them too.
Pascoa, Gercia, and Nivalda: My neighbors and inherited family. The husband of Pascoa is my boss and the 'vice principal' at the school. They have a long standing history with Peace Corps volunteers and as such sort of asserted themselves as Ro and I's friends and family from the beginning. There are so many times I miss the culture of privacy we have in the U.S. but other times I really appreciate getting to watch these two young girls grow up. Pascoa likes to check in if I don't come around their house often enough and depending on the day it's appreciated. I prefer my visits to their house because it usually involves buying bolos (mini donut type things) and allows my introvert self to slip home when I've hit my socializing max. However, one thing I love and appreciate about Pascoa is how hard she works for her family. She has taken in a whole host of kids that are not her own and makes sure they are getting an education and does her best to raise them to be "good" kids. She pays for the education of her own son in Maputo (an expensive place to live and study) and her nephew at the ADPP here in Manje. She also takes on her sister from time to time and frequently has 7+ kids living with her. She spends her days making bolos, peanuts, and popsicles to sell in the market all to get by and help out her family. She may from time to time be overly concerned with my business but she has a good heart and she is the epitome of working for all that she has (and all that she gives). Side note: I didn't do them any justice by lumping them in at the end but I love her nieces, Joana and Narcisa, they are two of my favorite young girls in the neighborhood and they work so so hard!
Aidinha: I've already written about Aida but she deserves more than one shout-out. She started out as my biggest growing pain in the classroom, quickly became my favorite student, then morphed into a kind of little sister, now also has crossed into friend territory, and also helps me out so much with favors and taking care of Luma while I'm gone. She loves using my phone to take selfies, we've found ourselves in the weird realm of having awkward conversations about sex and relationships, and she's tried a lot of "American" (really just non Mozambican) foods that she hates. I definitely didn't plan to find a best friend in a 15 year old but I'm sure glad I did.
Carme: Another full of life teenager with a knack for sass that reminds me too much of myself.
Marta: My sitemate, Miryam's, BFF who is so incredibly full of life - I just can't get enough!
Some other women I don't know the names of but appreciate! First, my favorite bolo vendor from Malawi who always speaks English with me and is too kind. Second, a strong Mozambican mama on public transportation with her kiddo. To me, this woman is the face of all Mozambican women, with her family on her back she takes on the world one day at a time!
Lastly, who would I be if I didn't throw some sort of "political" statement in at the end, right? I think it's important we always take a moment on these days of women's empowerment to remember that men MUST be a part of the conversation too. We need more dudes to get involved, support the badass women in their life, and recognize that we are forces to be reckoned with. Too many of my students will watch a man in their life emotionally or physically abuse a woman, I have seen with my very own eyes too many of my male students emotionally or physically abuse my female students, and too many kind and loving young men could grow up and harden becoming harsh and cold because society teaches them to be. When we talk about empowering women to be strong and brave and to embrace their intelligence and competence we must also teach young boys what it means to protect their soft kind hearts, to respect women, and to listen when we speak.
A little inspiration from Nayyirah Waheed:
Tomorrow is a very important day in Mozambique! It's a day where women are CELEBRATED. Recognized... seen... and appreciated. The day is marked by the death of the young Josina Machel. Machel was largely involved with FRELIMO and the liberation efforts of Mozambicans. She promoted women's participation in the process and fought for the human rights of all Mozambicans while also fighting for women's rights. She was diagnosed with liver cancer, sought treatment for a short period of time, but later came back to Mozambique to continue her efforts. She later died at the very young age of 25. You can read more about Josina Machel here.
This week in my English classes I asked students to write about why it's important to celebrate women here in Mozambique. I got a majority of responses focused on Josina Machel and her role in the independence of Mozambique and her marriage to Samora Machel. I also received a lot of responses about the parties their families were throwing and all of the food and refrescos people were going to have this weekend. But the students who really took their time and were thoughtful about this assignment provided answers that really hit me in the heart. I asked "what is the significance of Mozambican Women's Day" and "why is Mozambican Women's Day important for both men and women". Here are a few answers that I loved (translated):
"The concept of gender is just a concept" - Sergio
"We commemorate the Day of the Woman because it's not a favor (easy) to be a woman" - Luisa
"Celebrating women is important for all nations because discrimination still exists between men and women" - Raimundo
"We celebrate the value of our history and the fight for Mozambican women to affirm their identity and their rights" - Silencio
"We celebrate to remember the importance of women's rights in Mozambique" - Edgar
"This Mozambican holiday is important because it is important for our children to hug and love our mothers" - Eulanda
"Mozambican Women's Day is very important for all women. This was the day that our heroine Josina Machel lost her life and it also serves to remind us to be kind and to love all women."
- Eunice
"7 de Abril is a day that women can be happy and because of that all people can be happy." - Celma
"Women are fighters, women are couragous, women persistent in our dreams, women are the beautiful flower of the world." - Julieta
"This day is important because when my sister has to return home late at night she is afraid she will be injured." - Joni
If that last one doesn't just break your god damn heart I'm not sure what would... Reading these responses made me fall in love with my students all over again. I am so proud of them - boys and girls alike for being so strong in an often harsh world (same goes for my Denver North kids - miss you). Growing up is HARD... I'm reminded of that daily. But what I witness even more frequently is that growing up a girl can mean a loss of childhood. Here in Manje young girls spend their mornings doing chores, caring for siblings, fetching water... then they help prepare lunch before heading off to school. After school they have maybe an hour before they are expected home (if they aren't expected immediately to help prepare dinner and assuming they don't have to spend that hour walking home). When they get home they help with more chores and watch their siblings again. There is very little time to run around and play or hang out with friends (compared with the amount of time American teenagers get to run around free as birds). The second thing I've noticed is the girls who aren't daughters to the relatives they live with wind up doing even more work. The Cinderella complex Mozambique has going on really really gets to me. Oftentimes girls go to live with aunts and uncles in order to attend a high school because many rural towns only offer grades one through eight (or less). By living with their extended family they are expected to work to "earn their keep". Those girls quite seriously work all day long when they are not in school and essentially become the family maid. I could go on and on about the challenges women face: from lack of sufficient healthcare, to missing school because of menstruation, to gender-based and domestic violence, the list is endless. However, I do want this post to have an overall positive message, which is ultimately that WOMEN ARE BRILLIANT, RESILIENT, AND BRAVE. Before I highlight some of the wonderful Mozambican women I am lucky enough to call friends and family I want to provide some resources for you all to check out.
Water Themed:
Women Still Carry Most of the World's Water
Millions of Women Take a Long Walk with a 40 Pound Water Can
Gender and Water
Gender-Based Violence Themed:
Violence Against Women in Africa
Comprehensive Gender-Based Violence Resources and Information
Now, the fun part! All the fun-loving girls, teens, and mamas I've come to love!!!
Cremilda and Marina: These two were my very first introduction to strong independent Mozambican women. I don't think I would have made it through training without their love and support during all the ups and downs. Their patience while I was learning Portuguese, their acceptance of my love of napping, and their pushing me to spend time with friends to de-stress made me love my first few months in Mozambique despite them being some of the most challenging. Cremilda was constantly making me soups when I was sick, bought peanut butter because she knew it was my favorite, and would make me special portions of chicken because she knew I didn't love the fish. She was thoughtful and understanding and that made a world of difference when I was struggling to find my place. She called me her daughter from day one and still does. She constantly reminds me that I am forever a part of their family and for that I will always be so incredibly grateful.
Ludovina, Simplicia, Izaida, and Leonilde: My second stay with a host family proved challenging at first, becoming familiar with a whole new set of people was hard. But again, they welcomed me with open arms and treat me as family. I am constantly referred to as "tia" (aunt) or "mana" (sister) and they look out for me when I need help with anything. Leo is one of my students which sometimes can feel weird because I have a huge soft spot for her but in the classroom I'm still "Professora Alechandra". This family spoils me with foods from their farm and are always stopping by to give me baby time with Elias and Lofa. After watching them all come together while Elias was sick I have a newfound respect and admiration for what it means to be a family in Mozambique. Some of the strongest women I know are a part of my host family here in Manje and their presence in my life and in my service makes me happy and grateful.
Catarina: My first Mozambican friend! She is a co-worker at the school with me and quickly took me on as her responsibility. She always makes sure I know where to be and when, how to dress, and the general plan. I love her company and it's been so nice to have someone who checks in on me from time to time and stops by just to chat! She also has the best kids in the world and I love them too.
Pascoa, Gercia, and Nivalda: My neighbors and inherited family. The husband of Pascoa is my boss and the 'vice principal' at the school. They have a long standing history with Peace Corps volunteers and as such sort of asserted themselves as Ro and I's friends and family from the beginning. There are so many times I miss the culture of privacy we have in the U.S. but other times I really appreciate getting to watch these two young girls grow up. Pascoa likes to check in if I don't come around their house often enough and depending on the day it's appreciated. I prefer my visits to their house because it usually involves buying bolos (mini donut type things) and allows my introvert self to slip home when I've hit my socializing max. However, one thing I love and appreciate about Pascoa is how hard she works for her family. She has taken in a whole host of kids that are not her own and makes sure they are getting an education and does her best to raise them to be "good" kids. She pays for the education of her own son in Maputo (an expensive place to live and study) and her nephew at the ADPP here in Manje. She also takes on her sister from time to time and frequently has 7+ kids living with her. She spends her days making bolos, peanuts, and popsicles to sell in the market all to get by and help out her family. She may from time to time be overly concerned with my business but she has a good heart and she is the epitome of working for all that she has (and all that she gives). Side note: I didn't do them any justice by lumping them in at the end but I love her nieces, Joana and Narcisa, they are two of my favorite young girls in the neighborhood and they work so so hard!
Aidinha: I've already written about Aida but she deserves more than one shout-out. She started out as my biggest growing pain in the classroom, quickly became my favorite student, then morphed into a kind of little sister, now also has crossed into friend territory, and also helps me out so much with favors and taking care of Luma while I'm gone. She loves using my phone to take selfies, we've found ourselves in the weird realm of having awkward conversations about sex and relationships, and she's tried a lot of "American" (really just non Mozambican) foods that she hates. I definitely didn't plan to find a best friend in a 15 year old but I'm sure glad I did.
Carme: Another full of life teenager with a knack for sass that reminds me too much of myself.
Marta: My sitemate, Miryam's, BFF who is so incredibly full of life - I just can't get enough!
Lastly, who would I be if I didn't throw some sort of "political" statement in at the end, right? I think it's important we always take a moment on these days of women's empowerment to remember that men MUST be a part of the conversation too. We need more dudes to get involved, support the badass women in their life, and recognize that we are forces to be reckoned with. Too many of my students will watch a man in their life emotionally or physically abuse a woman, I have seen with my very own eyes too many of my male students emotionally or physically abuse my female students, and too many kind and loving young men could grow up and harden becoming harsh and cold because society teaches them to be. When we talk about empowering women to be strong and brave and to embrace their intelligence and competence we must also teach young boys what it means to protect their soft kind hearts, to respect women, and to listen when we speak.
A little inspiration from Nayyirah Waheed:
