"Pearl of the Indian Ocean".... Maputo, Mozambique

We arrived in Maputo at 5AM. As many people departed for 2-7 day safaris, our plan was to enjoy a safari through their stories and pictures and instead see Mozambique’s capital.

In 1498 Vasco de Gama, a Portuguese explorer who had been working for Spain “discovered” this new land. It had already been settled by the Khoisani Peoples and later by the Bantu, and then Arab traders who had set up trading posts. Portugal finally settled this already settled land in 1787. It remained under Portuguese control until 1975 when it became independent, leaving Mozambique to work out its independence problems. What happens to a country when it gains independence? We are finding out each country is different, but it's always difficult. At first, it looked like democracy would take hold, but internal political struggles led to a 20-year civil war. All this has left Mozambique one of the 10 poorest nations in the world. Recently devasted by the deadly cyclone, progress is slow.

In order to understand this country better, we signed up for the tour of Mafalala, a community of 20,000. After a quick van ride across Maputo’s downtown, we stopped at the border road. In colonial days, this road separated the Portuguese from the black neighborhood. It is now an integrated community of 20,000 although Mozambique is 99.6% black.

Wall of Poets and Activists

Maputo had been a sleepy fishing village until gold was discovered in South Africa. Since it was the closest port to ship these treasures, it grew rapidly. People were brought in from the northern area of Mozambique to work, greatly expanding the population. By law, the Portuguese allowed only houses that could easily be demolished if the city proper wanted to expand, so iron corrugated sheets were used. A work permit was required if blacks needed to cross the border street for work only. As unrest began spreading to all the colonies throughout Africa, Mozambique’s liberation movement was born in Mafalala. It soon became the hub of artists, poets, and native music.

"Two Water Houses"
(rain runs down two sides)...a sign of wealth

In the colonial days, there were two ways blacks could gain some privileges. One was to become an "assimilado”, someone who had proven he wanted to act more white...speaking only Portuguese, eating only Portuguese food using a knife and a fork, sleeping in a bed and not on the ground, and becoming a Christian. Having become more “white like” made it easier to get the paper that allowed one to cross the road. The other way was to actually be more white. Many times this would happen when the actions at a brothel produced mixed-race children. Even though these children would gain more privileges, they would be looked down on as being the child of a prostitute.

Businesses on Main Street Mafalala

Most houses in Mafalala were still the same corrugated metal. There was electricity and water, but many couldn’t afford the monthly fees. At times during the day, the water would not be running and people would fill buckets to dip from during those periods. Bathrooms were holes in the ground or latrines that would be pumped out. We saw evidence of overflow seeping up from the sandy soil and in some places flowing down the street.

Sewer Seepage on the Busy Main Street

Ivan had grown up in Mafalala and now served as the head of a small nonprofit working to improve the community. It was funded by donations and tours like ours. He led our group of 15 around for three hours. He was very proud of his community that had produced many poets, two of Mozambique’s four presidents, and the greatest soccer player of all time. 

Soccer Pitch (field) and only playspace in Mafalala

While telling us about the history and culture he showed us homes, the dusty soccer “pitch”. He told us about the girl who was discovered here and later made it big in the sport of soccer.

New Museum for Mafalala

The project he was most proud of was the partially completed Mafalala museum that his organization was funding. Three rooms on its top floor will be rented nightly to help fund it. Its architecture symbolized Mafalala and he was excited about the programs it will offer and the pride it will create in the community, as well as jobs.

Big boys just out of school

Next stop was the school that has three, three-hour sessions. The youngest children had just arrived for the middle session. They sang the national anthem and then, due to recent cholera outbreaks, listened to a talk on the importance of washing well from a government agency representative.

Starting School with the national anthem

They then grabbed onto each other’s shoulders and made their way in a train to their classrooms…60 children /room with wooden desks that had recently been donated so they no longer sat on the ground. 

Train to classrooms

Lessons are taught in Portuguese, the country’s official language although there are 40 regional languages spoken in Mozambique.

Everyone was so clean and happy despite tough conditions. 

Sixty students/classroom

The librarian was very proud of his tiny library with its one wall of old books. It also served as Mafalala's community library. 

Wifi was available and many programs offered on weekends to try and keep kids off the drugs that come in from Brazil and Afghanistan and are rampant in the community increasing crime.

Local Dance Group

Finally, a local dance group impressed us with their dance and jump roping abilities…and charmed us with their colorful dress, smiles, and sweet children. When we arrived, the men had been heating up the goat skins over the fire to achieve a certain tone for the drums. 
We left feeling a bit hopeful for Mafalala because of young leaders like Ivan. He had actually attended a young African leaders conference under President Obama in Wisconsin… Small world!

Dancing with Women

Getting Ready to Perform
with Their Moms

Tuning the drums by heating up the goatskins

        Downtown Maputo...a mix of modern and traditional

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Downtown Mosque

We spent the afternoon on our own in the city. Downtown was packed… vendors, shoppers, business people…a busy mix of modern and traditional. 

People were selling their wares not only in markets but also on the sidewalks, thick with local produce including peanuts, cashews (biggest export) and tropical fruits, shoes, junk food, backpacks, underwear and so much more. The sidewalks were one huge department store. Some people were sewing and mending on old Singer sewing machines. There was not the desperate hard sell from most that we had felt in Madagascar since these markets were for locals, not tourists.

As we walked by the beautiful old train station where Leonardo DiCaprio filmed the movie “Blood Diamond”, we could see that there really was a bus shortage as literally thousands of people waited in front of the station among the vendors for overcrowded buses. We tried to imagine how people could ever load up their wares and get home at the end of the day.

Vendors by Beautiful Train Station

Interior of Cathedral
 at Square

Independence Square

Gate to Botanical Garden

Independence Square was serene in comparison. It had wide streets and a roundabout with the Catholic Cathedral, City Hall, and the French Cultural Center once a grand hotel, all surrounding a huge statue of the first president overlooking the city. Close by was a beautiful botanic garden where many locals were enjoying the shady quiet.

The nicest buildings we saw were the African Bank and a Chinese Hotel. 

Glitzy Bank

Chinese Hotel

Craft Market in the
Wealthy side of Town

Historic Iron House...designed by same person
that designed the Eifle Tower   

The ship's shuttle service dropped us at a craft market across the city. Here we found a charming market with beautiful wood and textile products in a parklike setting…cool and green, shaded by big beautiful acacia trees. It had a brand-new colorful play area in stark contrast to Mafalala’s dusty soccer field, the only play space in Mafalala.

Polana Hotel 

We passed beautiful gated schools and homes. It felt like a whole nother world. Across from the market was the historic Polana Hotel, once called the “Grande Dame of Africa”. In the mid-1900s Maputo, because of its fine restaurants, hotels and beaches, was the playground for the wealthy South Africans and Rhodesians (now Zimbabwe).

Grass roofs of Polana Hotel Rooms

Sweaty and dusty we returned to another delicious buffet on our luxury liner, weighed down by the huge gap between the haves and have nots in the world and inspired to make a difference in some small way. 

Sewage on Mafalala's Streets

How Privileged We Are