In 2006, I was in Mozambique as a volunteer for the whole year. It was a year which changed my life, with so many stories that there’s just no space here to tell them all. But you need one, right? Ok, so when I was on the final days of my mission, we went on a walk to Mount Mitucué to see the sunset. As we came down, some of the villagers started calling the “white people” to see a baby two months old. Me and my friend looked at each other and thought “what’s the big deal?” But they were insisting and so we went. As we were getting close, the man who told us the age corrected himself: “sorry, I said two months, but no, it’s two days!!” As we turned the corner to the house, there she was, on her mother’s lap, a newborn with two days of life. We got close and it was like witnessing the miracle of life happening. They said it was a girl and that we could name her, and so we called her Sara, the name of the friend who was with me, just staring marvelled, at the little girl. We went away and I never returned to that place again, but I still think of little Sara many, many times…
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TAGS: Community Outreach Contests Travel
Lindo…é de louvar! Parabéns pela coragem Ricardo! Beijinhos*
@Paula: obrigado and thank you
It is wonderful to know that one can make a difference in people’s lives, and to know that people still remember me the way I still remember them is something you can’t even describe in words….
Changes in life are just a big amount of little steps…. and it seems that that one single little step has just changed the life of a new baby. Whish you and Sara the best.
Cheers
há sempre um laço que nos prende. A sara há-de ser sempre a menina a quem “os brancos” deram nome e como tal, hão-de ser sempre por ela e por quem com ela vive, recordados com saudade.
Great moment. Good luck
it´s a dream…..
I’ ve been to Moçambique last summer for my first time, also as a volunteer,
in the same province as Ricardo: Niassa. I didn’t meet Sara, but I have to say that Ricardo is still remembered there.
His story is wonderful, as it is so simple, yet it illustrates the generosity of Moçambique’s people. Where else would someone ask two complete strangers to give name to a newborn?
In so few words, that is what you can expect if you visit Moçambique, one of the most worth visiting countries in the world.
boa sorte
This is one of those stories…it may seem to be a small one, but it’s really big, great… It’s much bigger than the words Ricardo wrotte. It is big as the magic of life. Big as Africa itself.
Uma história muito bonita,e que não poderia ter terminado melhor,com, o dár um nome a uma bébézinha que por lá ficou como prova viva de quem por lá passou a dár o seu melhor e voluntariamente…exemplos destes são de facto muito encorajadores e gratificantes!!!um bem haja para todos os que o fazem…
Beijinhos
@ Ana: yes, it was quite an impression, because even when you think you’ve seen it all and you can go house, Africa surprises you with the ost amazing things. But you know all of that and more, don’t you?
@ Ana Rita: sim, foi um final de missão surpreendente, como acabou por ser todo o ano que lá passei, uma surpresa atrás da outra….
@Ana Azenha: nem sempre é fácil juntar o melhor que a vida nos pode dar. Neste caso, sim, até é bastante fácil….
Gostei de conhecer a pequena Sara
Two months, two days. Throughout my years living in the African continent I have come to realise that the notion of time is one of the most culturally different things between hemispheres.
In a volunteer experience we so much wish to make a difference, leave a footprint behind, however small. Naming a child is quite a privilege and seems to have left a deep print in you.
Ricardo is a determined person that follows the story up to the end, he likes to see the details and shoot them with its camera, that is always the object with him.
Boa viagem!
like!
Adorei a história, por ser um acontecimento tão vulgar, e que naquele dia te fez pensar e recordar para sempre. Para vocês também deve ter sido um privilegio terem dado o nome a uma recém nascida, em que nunca tiveram contacto com os pais.
Acho que a tua missão não podia ter acabado melhor.
Beijinhos
Perna FTW, if anyone deserves it!
Só tu, a quereres juntar o melhor da vida, fotografia e viagens!