Adventures in divorce

My husband and I are divorcing after almost 10 years of marriage and 14 years together.

This my excuse for not posting in the last week. I hope that things get better.

Do you have children?

"Do you have children?"

Inevitably, this question comes up in every extended conversation I have with native Africans of all nationalities, genders, ages, and cultures. To say that children are very important to Africans is an understatement. Children represent so many things - future, fertility, wealth, adulthood...

So how do I respond? I am sorely tempted to lie. People, especially older women, always give me these pitying looks like I might as well be dead because I have certainly proven my uselessness as a woman. There is also a slightly scornful cast to their pity, because without children I am not a grown woman. But I don't lie. "No, no children yet." I always add that yet part, because if I don't they will ask why. This is just as bad as the pitying scorn. The why is so very complicated. And who knows? The women in my family often have children late. I have some time.

Today, I explained a little bit of my complicated personal reasons to the anthropology student who asked. "If you are a woman and want to be a scientist in the United States and to advance, it is pretty difficult to do so and have children." Linda started nodding. "Yes, it is the same here. Women are seen as just factories for making children."

The situation is more complicated in Mozambique, but Linda and I didn't really need to get into the unstated understood. For instance, more than 70% of agriculture, especially subsistence agriculture, is done by Mozambicanas. So women are food factories too. Mozambique is also ranked first in the world for Female Economic Activity (82.8%). The US ranks 58th, with 58.8% in case you were wondering. Let's just say that Mozambicanas have a pretty difficult life.



I'm not sure how many Americans would publicly state or agree with the baby factory comment. However, the sentiment that a woman's role is to take care of children still permeates US culture. Obviously, not everyone believes this. I've met single dads, stay-at-home dads, and dads that share childcare equally with their spouses.

I've also experienced the pitying looks and "You'll regret not having children later" type comments in the United States. Again, mainly from other women. I don't know; maybe I will and maybe I won't. I do know for certain that I am tired of having people, sometimes complete strangers, constantly harp on my lack of children to me. Why am I so much more patient about answering this question when someone outside my own culture asks?

Do men even get asked these kind of questions?

Microcredit in Matutuine District

Last year, Dr. Muhammed Yunus and the Grameen Bank (the bank he created in Bangladesh) shared the Nobel Peace Prize for an idea that is helping people help themselves get out of poverty. Microcredit loans provide individuals the capital they need to do things like buy farm animals to raise for profit or a sewing machine to set up a tailoring shop or repair a vehicle that they use to transport goods and people. I've even heard of women buying cell phones with microloans, and then becoming the telephone service provider for their entire community.

Very few individuals default on these tiny loans. There is pride and social pressure, and people who default on loans cannot borrow again. But also, as monies are repaid, they get reinvested in new entrepeneurs. Many of the microloans go to women. In the short term, this allows women to support their families and send their children to school. In the long term, it raises their political, economic, and social status.

Today, as I was reading the BBC news online, I came across a site that connects loaners directly to low-income entrepreneurs in the developing world. You actually can pick where and to whom you want to loan money. The basic amount the loaner contributes is $25, which is about 12 large regular coffees at a fancy coffee shop.

Crap, I sound like some sort of Sally Struthers advert for starving children in Ethiopia. Cue the flies and suffering please.

I'm not writing this because I drank their koolaid or they slipped me a 1000 metacais under the table, but because I think that it is a pretty cool idea. Also, because they are operating in Matutuine District, Mozambique where I work. Right now there are 62 small businesses that have started, 63% owned by women, with an average loan size of $800. People have bought chickens, set up small grocery stores, repaired vehicles to run bus services, and repaired fishing boats and nets. In many cases, the entrepreneurs are now employing other people (and thus supporting their families). I've actually bought dry goods from one of the women entrepreneurs listed on Kiva. She operates a little loja (store) in Salamanga. Now I know how she started up her business.

The average wage in Mozambique is less than $1 per day. Things cost less, but people still work pretty damn hard for that less than $1. There are very few beggars here, most people would rather offer some sort of service or product in return for your spare change - carrying your purchases at the market, watching your car (people love to steal anything removable, including the car), selling batiks, hawking fruit and veg on the sidewalk, etc.

Occasionally, I'll have this moment where I get all weirded out thinking about the fact that I'm carrying around more money in my pocket than some Mozambicanos see in a week of working. Then I usually do something like buy roasted peanuts (that I don't necessarily want to eat right then) from barefoot and raggedly clothed 7 year olds hawking them on the street when they should be in school. But, of course, they can't go to school because they can't afford the $4 uniforms, school supplies, or tuition fees, and/or they are orphaned with no one to care them.

I'll continue to buy roasted peanuts, but loaning money directly to people with plans to put it to good use is something I can support as well.

Just another link if you are interested in Kiva:
You Too Can Be A Banker To The Poor - Nicholas Kristof

Dia das Mulheres de Mozambique

Today, 7 April, is Mozambican Women's Day. In honor of the day, I've sorted through my files to post pictures of Mozambicanas.

A few quick facts about Mozambicanas:

A woman's life expectancy at birth is 40.13 years.
On average, she will have 4.62 children.
32.7% of all Mozambican woman are literate.
70% of all Mozambicans live below the poverty line and make less than $300 US per year.
Of the total estimated population in 2006 of 19,686,505:
4,177,235 girls are 0-14 years old
5,519,291 women are 15-64 years old
322,412 women are 65 years and older

Famous Mozambican Women include:

1. Alcinda Abreu - Minister of Foreign Affairs & Cooperation (03 Jan 2005 - )
2. Adelaide A. Amurane - Deputy Minister of Labor (1994 - 2005)
3. Zena Bacar - Mozambican musician (singer)
4. Zena Bakar - Mozambican musician (singer)
5. Esperaça Bias - Minister of Mineral Resources (Feb 2005 - )
6. Lídia Brito - Mozambican forest scientist and Minister of Higher Education, Science & Technology (2000 - 2005)
7. Paulina Chiziane - Writer
8. Chonyl - Mozambican hip hop artist
9. Celina Cossa - Mozambican Farmer and Activist
10. Alcinda A. de Abreu - Minister of Social Action Co-ordination (1994 - 1997)
11. Luisa Dias Diogo - Prime Minister (17 Feb 2004 - )
12. Açuenca D.C.X. Duarte - Deputy Minister of Justice (1995 - 2000)
13. Isidora Faztudo - Deputy Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries (1995 - 1999)
14. Ângela Ferreira - Mozambican-born sculptor
15. Alcinda Honwana - anthropologist
16. Feodata Hunguane - Minister of Information (1986 - 1992)
17. Clarisse Machanguana - basketball player, has played in WNBA (US) and Spanish leagues
18. Graça S. Machel - human rights campaigner, Minister of Education (1975 - 1989), current Chancellor of University of Cape Town
19. Lina Magaia - short-story writer and novelist
20. Virgília Bernarda Neto Alexandre dos Santos Matabele - Minister of Women & Social Affairs (2000 - )
21. Salom M.M. Moiane - Deputy Foreign Minister (1994 - 1999)
22. Lilia Momplé - novelist, scriptwriter, and administrator
23. Maria De Lourdes Mutola - Olympic runner (2000 gold - 800m)
24. Mahommed J. Rafique - government minister
25. Frances V.V. Rodrigues - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs & Cooperation (1994 - 2005), Ambassador to Belgium, France, Netherlands & European Union (1985 - 1994)
26. Maria dos Anjos Rosario - Secretary of State for Technical & Professional Education - Government of South Africa (1988 - 1992)
27. Nomia Sousa - Mozambique's unofficial Poet Laureate