Mozambican female band uses music to empower girls

The initiative will see the five-member band teaching girls in their early teens how to play musical instruments. Speaking to local media, one of the band members, Amelia Mondlane, said: “We realised that the Girls Rock Camp was taking place in other countries but nothing similar happened locally. So we decided to design a project for Mozambique. Our academy approved the project straight away. As we presented our projects to the schools, they kindly explained to us that such activities could disturb the normal flow of the classes in the schools.”

Mondlane said she had doubts before joining the aacademy. “Sometimes, before starting my classes, I would ask myself: ‘What will people think when they ask me what I study' and I answered: 'Music’”

Mondlane, who is a drummer, said they faced resistance and rejection by most schools and had resorted to the outskirts of Maputo. She said they pitched the idea to school principals in rural areas and it was well-received, although some thought that it would hamper the learning time of the students.

“The schools had contacted the parents of the girls for our sake," she said. "The parents accepted the project with open hands and the schools were just calling us to hand the girls over to us.”

Mondlane said the campaign did not require the pupils to have any background knowledge of music or musical instruments. The Girls Rock Camp is currently training 22 girls from schools in the Chamanculo, Mafalala and Xipamanine areas.

Founded in 2016, The Divas is a product of the Music Crossroads Academy, a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping young people to have their voices heard. It is through this academy that The Divas were able to advocate for gender equality in the music sector using by schools as a medium and also to take part in various cultural exchange programmes. The Divas comprises Kaluza Banda, Ingrid Dyrnes, Amelia Felizarda, Amelia Mondlane and Nina July.