Heritage and an unexpected Tour

Close to Amina Momade, was this young man named Yunusso, born and raised on Island of Mozambique. As such, we talked for a few minutes.

Yunusso Ahamada

Unemployed, 22 years old
Excerpted · August 2017

About his employment situation:
Yunusso Ahamada: Now I don’t do anything. But a few months ago, I was in a project name LAMBDA. It’s a project about homosexuals, the LGBT community, and lesbians. We were doing an awareness campaign to help others like them not feel discriminated against, not to hide, to not feel ashamed to be who they are. To help them come out and stay united.

Interviewer: Is this a special project in Island of Mozambique or is it all over the country?
Y. A.: It’s in all of Mozambique.

What is your connection with the Island of Mozambique?
Y. A.: The Island is very important to me. I’m proud of being born on the Island. To know that I live in a place that is a World Heritage Site. I’m very proud of that.

Do you know what are UNESCO and its role regarding the Island of Mozambique? The World Heritage Site (WHS) nomination?
Y. A.: Yes. I know what UNESCO is and about the classification, but that is it.

Do you think the Island of Mozambique has changed over time?
Y. A.: If time is enough, things can change. From my point of view, the Island has changed just a little bit. It’s not changing fast as expected. I’m remembering when I [was learning] Portuguese in 2006, the island had this project with young people and children. It is a good initiative and opens horizons for young people so they can have more skills. So when the Island was classified I thought this type of project would take place on the Island as well to form young people too. But in 2006, 2007, 2008… I saw everything was calm. It didn’t gain the life I was expecting. One day the Island can change but it’s not there yet.

What do you think about the coming of foreigners to the Island? Did the WHS classification help boost tourism or the coming of foreign investigators and investors..?
Y. A.: UNESCO people, tourists, researchers, they all show up here. Some people say they come here but don’t do anything, they don’t work. I don’t think that. I just ask that they come here more often, with new initiatives, do their job with professionalism, and move on.

Do you feel connected to some monument on the Island of Mozambique?
Y. A.: For me, it’s the fortress, because in 2006 when I was a child I remember that I used to play there, in the fortress, with my friends. My teachers said we couldn’t play there but we would go anyway. We were children. The fortress says something to me because of my time playing there.

Did you visit any museums? If so, what is your opinion about them?
Y. A.: I visited during school. I haven’t returned since. The museum looked good. They showed me Samora’s bed. And they have that boat at the entrance. A boat of Vasco da Gama. For me, it was very interesting. Since 2006 I don’t go there. People on the Island don’t often go there. Only tourists. Local people lack the will to go to the museum. If people had good jobs or good salaries maybe they would have the will to go.

What do you consider to be your heritage?
Y. A.: My heritage is the food. I like matapa de siri siri (a typical dish). They prepare this outside the Island but here as well. Since I was 6 I remember that I tasted matapa. And I like it very very much. It marks me. It is a food that represents our culture.

Is there any story or anything you would like to share?
Y. A.: I remember that I was with my friends and a Spanish woman, named Cristina. He [a friend] arrived and knocked on my door. He was saying that we should do a tour to the island for some pretty tourists. But we had school so we had to go fast. I agreed to go with them. They introduced to me this Spanish woman, named Cristina, and an Argentinian woman, as well, named Marcia. So we went on the boat to the island of Goa. We crossed the ocean to the island. When we were kids, we would bet who could reach the deepest depths at sea. The winner would gain 20 meticais [local currency]. We arrived at the Island of Goa and did a bonfire. I had the dream of being a musician. So a friend brought a guitar and knew that I had this dream. But I ignored him. I didn’t want to do anything in front of them, in front of the ladies. But they encouraged me. Said I shouldn’t be ashamed of singing. So I started to sing for them, and they applauded me. They said I needed to improve a bit but I should follow the dream. We caught some fish, although I didn’t have any previous experience. It was just for them. We stayed there for 2 days on the island of Goa. The Spanish girl also sang a lot, and very well. And we did a singing duet, one in Spanish and one in Portuguese. It was very nice.