Meeting with the Machaka Association

















































































As education, respect and the Mozambican attitude require, Michel Sendela, stage-name Zito, welcomes us very elegant and smiling, distributes bottles of water to all of us and takes us inside the seat of the association.
The Grupo Machaka (http://machakamoz.org/) was created in 2000 to help the street children of the Mafalala neighborhood of Maputo. Children, Zito explains to us, who without the theatrical activities organized by the association would probably be predestined to exploitation, delinquency and drugs.
Thanks to the Grupo Machaka, which has twenty active members, these children learn traditional dances, dramatic texts and how to walk on stilts. It is a project created in collaboration with the Teatro dei Venti of Modena, which I have already talked about, and that is involving 30 children, boys and girls.
Zito shows us the photos of the performances, he tells us that they are a small association always looking for funds. They have a couple of computers and they have organized an internet point, they do many shows in the neighborhood and in the city, they are famous and loved. They have performed at the Avenida Theater, the most esteemed one in the capital.
Just like Alvim Cossa a few hours before, even Zito is enthusiastic about working with us, it would be a great opportunity for his association.
We make a second appointment when we are going to see a show organized by his guys.