Visit to the village of Quionga

















































































The “chief administrative officer” of the village of Quionga welcomes us with a McDonald’s shirt on. Does he know what he’s wearing?
He is smiling, he seems happy to meet us, he knows that Italy hosted the talks for peace in Mozambique in the 90s and he thanks us again for that!
It may be the camera, it may be the situation, the village chief gives a real presentation speech of his community: about 6,200 inhabitants, fishermen and farmers, there is the school and the health center dating back to 1956 and which needs restoration . In spite of this, 60% of births in the village takes place in the health center.
He tells us that the health awareness through theater would be very useful and it would be a great opportunity for the community.
We ask for information on the theater and other cultural activities in the village and he answers that the population is more involved in religion than in culture, sometimes they organize “training grounds”, real demonstration lessons for the community on health and prevention, there are traditional dances performed by the curanderos, the traditional doctors, and there are other dances that are performed on the occasion of visits by the authorities, usually political ones.
We cannot watch a theatrical performance or one of these dances, and they would probably never let us whites, watch the ones performed by the curanderos…
“Where are the training grounds? Where does the community usually meet? ”
“Over there, under the mango tree”.
The purpose of the question was to identify the location where to perform the play.
There is no stage, no electricity, no chairs, no light under the mango tree.
The community comes together there because the mango tree gives shade.
