Carnavale in Chicumbane

Sam and I at the first weekend of Carnavale

For almost the past month, Chicumbane has been celebrating Carnavale.

For a while I was trying to figure out the cultural roots or significance, but when asking around, I have just been told that the first one in town was last year after a group of young people decided to start it.  I think the Brazilian soap operas might have played a role in the idea as well. There are other carnavale celebrations across Mozambique, but I have only participated in the ones in my own town.

Carnavale 2013 with Nelio and Dario. 

The first Saturday of Carnavale (photo above) was in the main market area of Chicumbane. It included a march of lots of people cross-dressing and then transitioned into a talent show on a stage in the market area. After seeing how people were dressed up during the march, I decided to go home and get my mask (see above). As I went home, a couple of the kids I know from CACHES asked if they could make masks as well. When we got home, I brought out cardboard I had been saving, glitter and foam stickers. It was only a matter of minutes before my entire veranda was sparkling.

Making Carnavale masks at my house with the kiddos!

A variety of groups dancing and singing all competed in the show that followed the march. The winner, to be announced the third and final week of Carnavale would win 5,000 meticais ($166). A few of the dance groups who competed were kids and teenagers I knew from CACHES.

Some of the kids I know from CACHES dancing in the dance competition.

I am friends with a group of young guys who are part of a group, Chicumbane Entertainment. They actually won the competition at last year's Carnavale. They have written their own music, even recorded some and perform quite frequently at the local bar in town. So I spent the night with them. I felt like such a groupie, running over to the stage when they performed and then hanging out with them when they were off-stage drinking canu, a traditional drink made from the fruit canu. I had never seen that many people flooding the market and out into the street.

Chicumbane Entertainment

The second Saturday of Carnavale was held at Primavera, the only real bar just a 10-minute walk outside of town. The talent show continued with groups performing their dancing and singing routines. And even more kids came to my house that morning to make masks. Word had gotten out that Mana Colleen had glitter.

Glitter EVERYWHERE!!!

Honecio rocking his mask.

The third Saturday of Carnavale was postponed a week due to lack of money on the behalf of the organizers. But, the extra week gave us time to add a little something to Carnavale. One of the guys from Chicumbane Entertainment, Afro, called me early in the week asking if I could help him get an HIV test at the hospital. Yes, of course. So he came to the hospital the next day and I brought him to my friend Enia, one of the counselors who does HIV testing. After the test, he, Enia and I were sitting talking. I got an idea...since he is kind of like a little celebrity in town. . .when he gets up on stage that next Saturday he should make an announcement about getting tested and encourage others to do the same. We kind of laughed and joked about it, but I made sure he knew I was also kind of serious.

Later that night he called me asking if we could plan out what he could say at Carnavale. From there the idea expanded to asking the hospital to donate condoms to distribute and including a little health talk in the middle of the show. We made a plan and divided up what each of us would do before we would meet again. We asked some of the volunteers from CACHES if they would help distribute and maybe do a little talk or skit as well. When I asked the hospital about donating condoms, they were thrilled and wanted to give me three boxes--that's 15,000 condoms.  I only took 10,000. And 1,000 female condoms. I then started asking some of the nurses if they would be interested in giving a talk at the event. When they were a little hesitant about working on a Saturday night, I went and asked some of the nursing students I know. They were more enthusiastic about the idea. So it was set. We would distribute condoms at the march part of Carnavale and then at the actual event at Libote, the disco about a 40-minute walk outside of town. The nursing students would give a little talk about condom usage and getting HIV tested at the hospital. Afro would sing his music about HIV and encourage others to do the same. We would also include little announcements about using condoms and getting tested throughout the show. It went more or less according to plan. But, so it goes.

Paulo and Rafaela. Paulo and I made condom crowns to promote the condoms we were distributing at Carnavale. And Rafaela danced in the dance competition. 

I spent most of that Saturday waiting to hear from Afro about what time everything would get started. But, while we waited, some of the CACHES volunteers and I wrote health messages on the condoms we would distribute. We also made condoms crowns (See picture above). I learned how to make them in college during my FYSOP days. For a little while that Saturday I couldn't decide if it was appropriate or not. But, then decided, why not? Let's do it. And they were a hit.

We ended up not distributing condoms at the march. But, once we got to Libote at about 19h, we set up condoms at the bar, in the bathrooms and at the entrance and exit. Then around 22h, Rui and Cosme, the nursing students, gave a brief talk about condom usage and HIV testing. They then walked through the crowd distributing condoms.

Rui and Cosme, two nursing students, gave a short informational talk about condoms and going to the hospital to take an HIV test. 

Afro then followed their talk by singing his music about HIV. The emcee included reminders for the audience to be sure to pick up condoms at one of the various locations. Mission accomplished. We successfully included health messages and condoms at Carnavale. While of course, it could of been a little more organized, I have found that will always be the case. So best not to think about what could have been, but what we did accomplish. We distributed about 2,000 male condoms and 250 female condoms. And the rest...the plan is to go back to Primavera and Libote and ask them to keep their bathrooms stocked with condoms. We also hope to plan another show with Chicumbane Entertainment and other groups to distribute the rest and include more health messages.

We'll see if that happens. For now they are waiting in my house.

You know you are a health volunteer when....you have over 8,000 condoms sitting in your living room.

Big night out.
Carnavale at Libote, the disco just outside of town.