Amina Amaral is 31 years old and the mother of four children. She stands out from her neighbors because she completed high school and because she wants her children to study. “I was lucky that my parents sent me to school,” says Amina. “It means that I understand the advantages that school brings to my children.”
In her area, most parents send their children to work with farming, fishing or informal commerce. Girls often enter into premature marriages. “My daughter is in third grade. When she comes home, I ask her what she learnt, and she shows me,” tells Amina. “Then we do exercises together, and I teach her to read and write. Studying is good. Not only to get a job but also not to be illiterate.”
When her daughter started school, she was able to study in Emakwa, which is the language the family uses at home. Amina is part of a community video group in Memba. Along with other women, she is being trained by h2n under the USAID-funded Apoiar a Ler! project, which aims to increase parental engagement in children’s learning and improve bilingual education in Nampula. The project is led by ADPP, with h2n and local organizations as consortium partners. “I hope that after my neighbors watch the videos, they will understand the importance of school and bilingual education, enroll their children and follow up with them,” explains Amina, who is excited to film her experiences.
Community video is a tool used by h2n to help local groups produce their own stories of positive behaviors, which are later shown to and discussed with other members of the community. h2n works with community-based communication, produces television programs and videos, organizes youth centers and pursues a comprehensive gender equality agenda.