Clube de raparigas

Girls’ club.

A long day out of multiple stops, today showing the assembled stakeholders various project activities in the buffer zone surrounding the core area of the National Park.

The first visit was to a school and this girls’ environmental club. A young pupil called Luna first presented posters with environmental messages. She showed such confidence talking to a big group of dignitaries from the capital and random foreigners that we all agreed she’d be bossing us around in thirty years as Minister of Land and Environment.

Various other highlights were meeting with some bean, potato and onion producers who had received support for their businesses. A women’s savings group was in full swing in another village we visited, and one of the members was wearing some Santa Claus socks that bore the slogan ‘don’t stop believing’. It was a good metaphor for the group which aims to fund a children’s nursery when it has built up enough cash. The woman turned out to be Rainha (Queen) who I’d heard about. She has reams of information in the local language about biodiversity stories and history from the area. She needs to be welcomed pronto into the team that works on environmental education in and around the Park.

We were all shattered by the end of the day. The main activity of the evening was avoiding bombardment by termites undertaking their nuptial flight. As a response to the onset of the rainy season, the most important part of the termite life cycle begins this time of year. For one night only, each termite mound releases its inhabitants and the air is full of termite flirting and pheromones. Each morning here tends to see the ground littered with termite wings. Once they have mated, the wings are discarded and the termite mates scuttle off together.

Talking of nuptials, it was interesting to hear the girls’ club respond to our greetings with their chant ‘contra casamento prematuro’ (against early marriage). Underage girls entering into marriage is a problem in rural Africa especially as it leads to dropping out of school and pregnancies whilst far too young.