Mozambique: Skate and Education project empowers children and youth

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Mozambique: Skate and Education project empowers children and youth

2:09 CAT | 30 Nov 2020

Photo: Courtesy

This Tuesday, December 1, marks the first anniversary of the inauguration of the Luís Vinho Skate Park, a social project started with funds from the founder of Maputo Skate and Education and supported by NGOs Skate World Better and Wonders Around The World.

More than 150 children and young people have received skating lessons at the skate park in the Khongolote neighbourhood, where they are encouraged to continue their school studies and behave well, Vinho said in an interview with Voice of America.

In addition to having a space to do school work, they can also participate in a variety of recreational activities, including Fashion, Crafts, and Technology.

Skap — *First day at Luís Vinho Skate Park 1/12/2019*

Skate and Education started in January this year, and it was not long before Vinho saw the difference that the initiative was making in children’s behaviour and self-esteem.

“There is a lot of positive energy and young people are always motivated and growing with the project,” he says. Several provinces in Mozambique are interested in having skateboarding, but prejudice still exists, he adds.

Watch: How is skateboarding influencing a group of children and young people in the Khongolote neighbourhood?

Impact of the pandemic on the Skate and Education project

Before the coronavirus pandemic arrived in Mozambique, children attended the park every day of the week. However, when the numbers of cases with people infected with Covid-19 started to increase, activities in the skate park had to be cancelled.

“Children here in the neighbourhood don’t have much fun at home. They don’t have a PlayStation, a computer, or Internet. It was very difficult for children to stay at home. Some were already going astray,” Vinho narrates.

Faced with this situation, the founder of Maputo Skate had the idea of getting Internet at the skate park. And some young people were already communicating via WhatsApp, giving Vinho with a ready-made communication channel.

Through WhatsApp, Vinho told young people what the government was deciding in terms of Covid-19 rules which affected the park. When the government prevention measures relaxed and the reopening of the park became possible, he implemented social distancing and the use of masks, bought a thermometer with the help of the community, and pasted pamphlets about Covid-19 precautions around the neighbourhood.

“We used to have 30 to 40 children in an hour to two hours interval. After the pandemic, we started having six children per hour. Today, we have ten, and are happy to see normalcy returning.”

Expectation for 2021

Francisco Vinho has great expectations for next year. One reason is the number of girls who have joined the project. To adapt to the new demand, he designated Thursdays a girl’s-only day. In addition, he realised that it would be important to start addressing issues such as sexuality, harassment, premature marriage and early pregnancy. The result was a partnership with the Mozambican professional model Elizabete Elias, who now teaches fashion classes in the park and talks about feminine hygiene and sexuality.

“With the introduction of fashion, more girls want to be part of the project, but I tell them that they have to continue skateboarding,” Vinho says.

Skatepp — *Girls who practice skateboard also receive fashion classes*

Vinho said he will close the year with a ‘Miss Modelo Maputo Skate’ gala on December 19th. Before that, he has a skateboarding championship planned for December 6th, which will be a celebration of the rink’s construction a year ago.

The founder of Maputo Skate said that there is a lot of news and good things coming along, like dance challenges and more fashion galas. He expects the number of students to reach 250 in 2021.

If the demand continues to increase, Vinho will have to look for a bigger place to accommodate the project. He has the support of everyone for the project to continue to grow and develop.

Source: Voa Portugues