Installment #4

Two weeks ago, I was in Maputo, Mozambique. Whenever I visit a new country in Africa I get this overwhelming feeling, and my profound love for the Continent simply gets deeper. There is so much potential and so much beauty in Africa and Mozambique did not disappoint me. Mozambique sits on the south-eastern part of the Continent. Its people enjoy over 2,400 km of gorgeous coastline on the Indian Ocean. No wonder the beaches north of its capital, Maputo, are crowded with visitors and tourists. The warm waters of the Indian Ocean invite the tropical weather, and in comparison to Cape Town, South Africa, which sits on the Atlantic Ocean side of Africa, Mozambique can easily be around 10 degrees warmer.
The culture, the vibe, the music, and the seafood simply took my breath away, and I had so much fun partying, and having a good time. But there was also work involved. I was invited to help the U.S. Embassy in Maputo with their second annual U.S. - Trade and Investment Conference. Mozambican President, Armando Guebeza, came to the conference to stress how important he believed trade and investment is to Mozambique. Mozambique is less developed than South Africa, but the country is actively pursuing foreign investment to create jobs, boost GDP, establish better infrastructure throughout the country, and educate its people. My colleague, Courtney, and I helped the Embassy team with whatever they needed us to do. In return, they provided us with free Embassy housing for 10 days. Going to Mozambique reminded me a lot of the Cape Verde Islands – both former Portuguese colonies, similarities in music and dance, and the fresh seafood and prawns (shrimp) that were literally the size of my fist. I think I gained about 3 pounds the week that I was there. I ate such rich, tasty food.
Courtney and I went to 2 concerts, 4 different night clubs, and shopped for crafts. We tried twice to get to the beach – but one time we literally missed the boat and the other time we woke up late from going out the night before. We were so sad to leave, but we will always remember the people we met, and all of the fun activities we did in Mozambique.
Last Saturday, I had the amazing opportunity to go to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy as part of our Abafazi Ambassadors Program. This was the last session of a 6-week course that focused on teaching the girls about women leaders in a variety of subjects such as – government, business, arts & literature, and the sciences. Each week we had about 50 girls, and they were all delightful, bright young ladies. I found out later that these girls are going to be the first graduates of the school, and they were the ones featured on the Oprah Winfrey special when the school was opened. They are truly amazing. I talked to them about Judith Jamison, artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and about Ama Ata Aidoo, the famous writer and playwright from Ghana. At the end of the lesson, we took pictures in the courtyard, and then the girls started to sing and dance, and they made a circle. They were so surprised to see me when I got in the middle of the circle and was showing my kwaito moves, and some of the Zulu dance steps that I learned. I will cherish their shocked faces when they saw me getting down with my bad self. Dance is such a great medium to convey feelings of happiness, joy, and comfort with my surroundings.
This is my last week here in South Africa…until I come back somehow, and I will write one last entry before I leave, but I know that I am going to return to this region. I WILL find my way back.