My visit to Corrane, Mozambique - the testimony of a volunteer.

19th September 2019

We left very early, navigated the secondary roads of Nampula Province to arrive in Corrane, a community like many others, where infrastructures are scarce but the local aspiration to improve it is huge. We were welcomed by their “anci?o”, a community chief who cannot read or write, still the leader who helps families with their local matters.

The school is located literally in the middle of nowhere, as we say in the northern hemisphere, found between vast plains and lost mountains, serving communities scattered among various farmlands with cashew trees, coconut palm trees, cassava plant, cotton cultivation.

Villages with little or no supply of drinking water and electricity, are served by hard sand roads. So it would be expected that the 60 kilometers between Nampula and Corrane would take at least two hours traveling on a 4x4 truck.

We kept going without stopping, and I felt the heat raise early into the trip. We arrive at Maria Rivier Primary School shortly after the start of the morning shift classes, it would have been around 8:00 AM.

While visiting the school premises, built two years, I could see it is already small for the community. For example, year 4 students’ have to share the room with year 2, i.e. I saw year 4 students facing the back of the classroom, and year 2 students’ facing forward as expected. Also, year 6 was housed in a provisional room made of mud and straw, students sitting on the floor because, as in most schools across the country, there are not enough desks for everyone. The ones that schools have are sometimes shared by three students.

I have prepared, divided and multiplied sets of material donated from Portugal to give at least something to each kid, there were 240 students in class that day.

Between notebooks, pens, writing and coloring pencils, notepads, erasers, sharpeners, rulers, scissors, backpacks, and storybooks, it was a lot which they have received with open hands. However something wasn’t right, I could not exactly identify what was wrong with these children but the look on their faces made me wonder if what we were offering was enough or even what they need most. For instance, those books we had were indeed written and illustrated with an European culture in mind, could they relate?

I also noticed, these students to be there have to walk several kilometers on the same road I had driven myself, few have the privilege of owning a bicycle. Some children walk alone, others with their siblings, carrying their notebooks in plastic bags, few may use a small bag made of straw or capulana fabric, I did not see backpacks, not even one.

I have to praise all those kids who overcome these challenges to be in school everyday.

Later I remembered, children in more developed countries are driven to school or taken by public transportation, still those who have to walk don’t live as far. Many misbehave because they do not feel like going to school, whereas these students here sacrifice themselves so that they can learn every day.

By mid-day I was deflated, I wanted to run away, wished to forget what I had just experienced!

I wanted to erase that reality so badly.

But we cannot simply run away, we cannot forget or ignore, despite not being able to change every problem for these children we have to help as much as we can by doing our best in the process.

Aware of the cultural pressure enforced to youngsters to leave school to work or get married prematurely, I was very impressed by the number of students in school that day.

So now, back in Nampula I am writing this piece to share with you. I am feeling more determined than ever, I will continue helping on this cause by offering my professional knowledge, hoping my humble undertaking will somehow help some children in Mozambique.

We have to help, even if in a small way, building more schools around the world.

I am well aware, it may be an utopia still without beginnings there are no endings. We have to start somewhere.

My mission was to produce the project strategy to build a new elementary school in Nampula which, although restricted to many, will help some families here.

"Bem-Haja"

Ana Sofia Carmo