TROCAS!

What is a troca? It is a time where different groups come together and share their experiences. Our group participated in a troca with two other local groups. The groups, from Moamba and Tenga, are both run by Mozambican women and are made up of high school age girls. This is the ultimate goal of REDES, to have groups led by Mozambicans. For our group I work alongside my counterpart, Eunicia. While I am the one who started the group, she is the driving force behind most of our work (I am the worst at sewing in our entire group) and she is the one who will continue the project after I leave :) For our troca, we spent three days with about 35 girls at a "mini conference." During this time the girls taught each other various skills, such as how to make a capulana bracelet. They had debates on various gender-related issues and were even visited by the head doctor of Moamba, a woman! We also spent time playing sports, such as ultimate frisbee and soccer, which are generally seen as typically male activities. This provided a wonderful opportunity for the girls to come together and have a fun time with new friends-we're talking serious dance parties :)