"The Island is like a mother to me"

Just as I was saying goodbye to young salesman Henrique, a friend of his stops by. Unlike him, Cláudio was continuing with his studies at Ilha. He had a little time to chat.

Cláudio Lino

Student, 20 years old
Excerpted · August 2017

Interviewer: What is your connection with the Island of Mozambique?
Cláudio Lino: The island means a great place for me to live. Because on the other side what you find is a lot of fighting. The island is like a mother to me.

Do you feel connected to some monument on the Island of Mozambique?
C. L.: I do not care about them. I see them and listen to things about the museum and other things related to that. I like them but I’m not interested.

Do you think the island has a lot of communities or just one big one?
C. L.: It has a lot of communities.

What do you consider to be your heritage?
C. L.: Its history. The history that exists on the Island. The traditional dances on the island, Tufo, Modi. That for me is very good. 

Overall, do people care about the conservation of the Island as an historical place?
C. L. : Yes.

Did you visit any museums? If so, what is your opinion about them?
C. L. : Yes, I did. The museum is nice, the things inside are well organized.

What do you think about the fortress? (São Sebastião Fortress)
C. L.: They found old things in the fortress but didn’t leave them there. They didn’t put it in the museum either. They should leave the fortress the way it is.