"I don't want to stop dreaming, I dream of changing my life but for that I have to leave here. My family and my wife's family does not let us live. Here in Mozambique everyone is always asking. Parents have children just to keep them later. It is very sad.
As soon as you do not give money, they do not help you
Many times I go for the town and carry a chicken in my hand, The only one that maybe in a month I can buy. After a while I have my whole family and my wife's family at home to eat or ask them to give them food or money. It is better not to stumble with anyone on the street, When they see me they approach and tell me hello son, dame 10 Iticais I don't have money. If you don't change and take out 50 Meticais stay with everything. If you buy new clothes, A shirt, They are already talking. As soon as you do not give money, they do not help you. They tell me that I am obliged to keep them and I explained that I have two daughters to raise.
My mother died when I had a year. My father went to live in Beira. There he earned money working. I went to Zimbabue and bought goods that I sold here. Became a man with money, I had a cement house and a car. He died when I had 6 years. So my stepmother and my family stayed. It was very sorry. I was a child, But I was the eldest of my brothers. My uncles said, This is for Acasio, for when it is greater, And then I heard them argue for everything in the house. Suddenly one came and took something and sold it. It was all like that. Only the house remained, But my family for then sent myself to live with my maternal grandparents. They were very poor, lived in the mato (jungle), They raised me.
They never sent me anything, They didn't even answer
A few months later they also sold Beira's house that they said it was for me. They swept everything. I wrote letters to my uncles and grandparents asking me to send me some notebooks or a school suit. They never sent me anything, They didn't even answer. Then, When I turned 18 years I started working. A year my paternal family found out and asked me to live with them. They wanted my money, They knew that I already had a salary. They had not spoken to me in years.
I take care of my little sister and brother. When she married my whole family wanted to make Lebolo (betrothal in Mozambique). I refused and faced all. I took care of it, you did nothing, And I don't want to make the hand, I told them. They had made a list with shoes, clothes, wine and things that the boyfriend should give them. I talked to him and told him to keep that money to make a house for my sister. Then my maternal grandmother died and last year I gathered the money to do the ceremony, She did grow up.
I don't want to stop dreaming, You are right, you can't take my dreams
I don't want to stop dreaming, You are right, you can't take my dreams. All my friends are not of vilanculos and they always tell me here you have to get away from here to be able to give your daughters and a future. Poor families here in Mozambique do not let you live, They just want your money. My friends are happy because they moved away from their families and they will only see them at Christmas. I want to go to nampula or tete. Only I can be happy. I will not stop dreaming ".
(This conversation, cases literal, I had it yesterday with Acasio, a co-worker who was taking some pictures for the new hotel website. Married, has two daughters. Not enough money. Walk three hours every day to come to work. The whole conversation started because we talked about dreams).
