This is my favorite picture to share with friends, who don't realize that "Africa" is actually an entire continent with around 50 countries and approximately 2,000 different languages spoken. It is extremely diverse, just like New England's culture differs from that of Eskimos and Mexicans!
We can't believe that Africa has nearly 50 different countries. It is also hard to understand that they speak almost 2,000 different languages. That is amazing! We were wondering if English was one of the 2,000? Also we wanted to know more about some of the "sports" and traditions the kids play and do.
ReplyDeleteMr. Maciolek's Fourth Grade Class, Connecticut, USA
Dear Liz,
ReplyDeleteI think that having young boys being kicked out on the street at 6 or 7 years old is cruel. Why don't the parents encourage the boys to also do chores? I think that all the children should be treated equally.
Sarah, Mr. M's Fourth Grade Class, CT, USA
What if the boys work really hard, even harder than girls in their family? My sister once had an experience with someone selling illegal things too...except it was with drugs.
ReplyDeleteClaire, Mr. M's Fourth Gr., CT, USA
Dear Liz,
ReplyDeleteI just cannot believe young boys are kicked out at the age of 6 or 7 years old. Do girls live out on the streets also?
Katarina, Mr. Maciolek's Fourth Grade Class
Connecticut, USA
Dear Liz, Why are the boys kicked out? Can't they do all the things that girls do? I really like your writing, it is filled with a lot of detail.
ReplyDeleteNatalie, Mr. M's Fourth Gr. CT, USA
I think that the paragraphs that you wrote are very sad and some of it is great because I would give someone leftover food if I found someone on the street. If I was grown up I would probably build a home for them to live. Then they would be happy.
ReplyDeleteYour friend,
Devon
Mr. Maciolek's Class, Somers, CT USA
P.S. I live in Hartford, CT
It's to bad that the boys get kicked out. One question I have is to ask is doesn't the dad get kicked out? And also, what else do the boys sell? And how many friends do you have?
ReplyDeleteNathan S. Mr. Maciolek's Fourth Grade Class
Somers, CT USA
Dear Liz,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for telling us about amazing things that happen in Mozembeque. Is it hard living in Mozembeque? Do you live in a home or an apartment? Have you ever been to Egypt before?
Hunter B., Mr. Maciolek's Fourth Gr. Class
Somers, CT, USA
Dear Liz,
ReplyDeleteThank you for teaching me about Africa. Now I know what it is like to be homeless. Here are some questions. What are the most popular names? Jobs? Foods? Again, thank you.
Becca, Mr. Maciolek's 4th Gr. Somers, CT USA
I'd hate to be begging for food. I feel really sorry for the children. Is there something the boys can do to stay in the house? Is there something we can do to help?
ReplyDeleteJosh, Mr. Maciolek's Fourth Grade Class
Somers, CT USA
Hello Liz,
ReplyDeleteDo boys really get kicked out at 6 or 7 ?
I wonder why they don't just put them to work too! Have you ever lived on the street or are you now? My mom can relate to that because when she was younger her family was poor and she lived in a car for some time.
Domenic G. Fourth Grade, CT USA
Dear Liz,
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you are ever mistreated or don't have the same rights as the Mozembeqens ? If you do or don't why or why not?
Michael, Fourth Grade, Somers, CT USA
Dear Liz,
ReplyDeleteI think having boys sent out at ages 6 or 7 us mean because they might not know how to stay healthy or to stay alive.
Elliot
Fourth Grade, Mr. Maciolek's Class Somers, CT USA
Dear Liz,
ReplyDeleteI read the paragraph on the boys getting kicked out at ages 6 or 7 and I thought about my brother Tyler. I have a question, why don't the mothers ask the boys to do chores instead of kicking them out of the house?
Nathan L. Mr. M's Fourth Grade, CT USA
Oh my gosh! I can't believe that boys get kicked out. We [boys] can do chores too. Why don't they [the adults] give us an opportunity to prove ourselves?
ReplyDeleteBrady, Mr. Maciolek' Fourth Grade Class
CT, USA...Planet Earth
I can't believe that boys live in the streets and share garbage to survive. Also, it is so weird that you have to stay away from some people that want to marry you. All I'm saying is that Mozenbeque is way different than Connecticut.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Trent
Somers, CT USA
Dear Liz,
ReplyDeleteI liked how you showed Africa and Mozanbuque o the map. I also liked your writing and how you told what happens in Mozanbuque, Africa. One question I have is when the boys are on the street do they go live with other people, make their own shelter, or try to go work for some one to get a job?
Edward, Mr. Maciolek's Fourth Grade Class
Somers, CT USA
Dear Liz,
ReplyDeleteI find pirated dvds in stores for only five bucks. How much money do the kids in Africa have to pay? Wow, I can't believe that boys get kicked out of their own house. We would get kicked out at 16, 17, 18, or 19.
Your friend,
Jason Mr. Maciolek's Fourth Grade Class in Somers, CT USA
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete6 - It is sometimes hard to live here, mostly because I miss my family. Other times, it is very easy because the beach is beautiful and it is very relaxed!
ReplyDelete7 - I live in an apartment. Hopefully you can see the pictures!
8 - Nope, I have never been to Egypt, but my friend David went and he said it was amazing. Great pyramids!
9 - Most of the boys on the street just sleep in the doorways of restaurants. The weather here is very warm, so a shelter is not too necessary.
10 - The DVDs are about four dollars here, so slightly cheaper than in the USA but not much!
Wheh. I hope this helped you learn a bit about where I live.
All the best,
Liz
Hello to Mark's class!
ReplyDeleteI loved reading all your comments. Here are my responses..
1 - English is very widely spoken in Africa. In fact, if you go way way back (about a few million years), all language developed from four native African tongues. They they separated out into some of the modern Asian and Latin languages.
Since then, you will find many of today's languages coming back to Africa. In most countries, it depends what type of colony they were many years ago. So depending on the country, it may be predominantly English speaking, French speaking, or Portuguese speaking. Most of the countries are English or French speaking, but mine is Portuguese speaking! All of the countries around me, including South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania, are English speaking, though.
2 - Boys here are very big fans of international football (what we call American soccer). Even kids on the streets will all huddle around taxis playing the radio of football games. Kids play it both in the city and the country. I will try to post some pictures of this on my blog. Mozambique's team is called the Mambos. This year they are very good, though recently they tied Nigeria, which is supposed to be the best team in Africa. Because they did not win the game, they probably will not make it to the 2010 World Cup (in South Africa) but they are trying!!
Girls here do not watch or play sports so much. But they do love movies and music and romance and all of the same things that girls love in America or around the world.
You will find that even though boys and girls here are poor, because of technology they are now very exposed to what is happening in the rest of the world. Even poor families who may not have enough food for dinner, will still have televisions, and often most members of the family will have a cell phone, too. In rural areas, where there is no service for television and cell phone, they will still likely have radios which tell them what is going on in the world.
3 - There are also lots of old men and fathers on the street. Men, in general, tend to spend more time out of the home than the women, and as a result, more often get kicked out! Culturally, the woman's role is more often to take care of the home and family.
As for why there are more boys than girls, a few reasons. The biggest one is that the boys are wilder, and when they are disciplined, they often run away and join the gangs of boys in the streets. Even young boys will run away.
You will also find that in Africa, more adults die to sickness and disease than in the U.S. However, the girls are often taken by relatives because they are better housework.
As one final reason why there are so many boys on the streets, it is because in Africa young girls are very valuable to their families. If a boy wants to marry a girl here, he must pay her family large sums of money or goods (a typical gift for a woman might be $400 and two cows, more than what one makes in a couple years of work). As a result, boys work for years to earn enough to make enough money to marry a girl, and then the girl's family profits from the wedding (because she was very valuable to her family).
4 - I have many friends here, but not as many as in the U.S. It is very hard to make friends in a new place where you don't know the language, but I am trying. My friends here are from all over the world - some from Mozambique, others from Brazil, Portugal, Canada, Ecuador, England, Uganda, Australlia, and Germany. They are all here, like me, trying to see the world, and work and volunteer. I have about three close girl friends and several other casual friends. One of my favorite friends is my taxi driver, Franco, who drives a bright yellow car all over the city and is trying to start a taxi business here. My other close friend is a girl named Stelia, who worked at the gym where I exercise, and my friend Marta, who is a waitress at the restaurant I like to eat.
5 - I have certainly been mistreated in Mozambique, similar to how immigrants are sometimes mistreated in the USA. It is usually not done in a mean way, but people become frustrated because I don't understand the language well or because my customs are different from theirs.
Dear Liz,
ReplyDeleteThanks for answering all of our questions and most recent concerns. Our classroom has grown and, with your new site, we are able to experience things like we are in Mozambique with you. You have an open invitation to revisit Somers Elementary School, perhaps for a student/parent presentation in the early evening. I'm sure many parents would love to ask questions and get to know your work. Of course, the kids would love to see you again during the day also!
Mr. Maciolek, Fourth Grade Teacher, Somers, CT USA