Walking in the soul of Maputo

The meetings also help children start thinking about solutions to the problems that plague the city.

When Miguel Prista, a Maputo native, realised that there were gaps among youngsters about their knowledge of their city and places, he came up with “Walking Through Maputo”, a project that aims to take children aged eight years and over on a series of walks, with the objective of “discovering” the capital and its paths, getting to know the history and enjoying its infrastructure.

He understood that to understand the different meanings that the world offers us, it is necessary, first, to know how to walk in the city or rural area, knowing the stories and the people. After all, the city is palpable, visible and reachable.

Prista’s idea is that the kids may also know how to combine the history of the city and its architecture, a mechanism for understanding the time and space where they live, this being an important way to build their identity.

“Walking Through Maputo” is also an initiative for children to have the opportunity to leave the house on foot and look at the urban landscapes, feel the smell and textures of the capital.

The little ones are always excited because being in the street they can feel the idea of freedom and, therefore, it is always necessary to be one step ahead of their spontaneity.

Due to insufficient resources, each walk takes a maximum of eight participants. Another difficulty has to do with the sidewalks that are always occupied by vehicles.

The meetings also help children start thinking about solutions to the problems that plague the city.

Issue 70 Nov/Dec | Download.