Pérola Viajante

In Madagascar alone, according to data from the World Health Organization, 10 women lose their lives at childbirth every day, with prevalence in areas far from the center and rural areas due to lack of access to infrastructures and qualified professionals to attend women and children – the first victims of poverty. It is clear that we still have long paths ahead of us and much still needs to be done and changed, especially in the issues of parity and gender equity, protection and strengthening of children’s and women’s rights, the slowness of justice system, family and social dysfunctionalities, which end up entailing social inclusion and an increasingly inclusive and sustainable Cape Verde that we all want. Taking into account the case of Cape Verde, where the majority of mothers-women are head of families I am convinced that women and children should always be at the center of the economic, social and political development programs of any country, and should also take advantage of same rights as men. So that we have children in a sustainable environment with freedom of choice and access to opportunities, such as access to health, education, a home, sport, and leisure, we need to start acting now and be part of sustainable change by engaging all stakeholders to educate, sensitize and strengthen the functionality of families, local and central authorities, capacity building of youth and community leaders, agents of public and legal institutions, gender mainstreaming, integrated national policy and holistic approach in order to create cohesion and social values, and hence sustainable economic development in a cohesive and inclusive society.

As a digital agency, we are doing everything about digital, that reaches our goals – and my purpose in life: community management, writing, translating, setting up blogs for customers, managing blogs, and most of all, giving training to people about blogging and digital communication. But the biggest are these: –       The non-consideration of youth in Madagascar: here in Madagascar, young people aren’t really allowed to say/do something. I decided to do it because I strongly believe that Influencers can be a motor of change, a screen of change – on digital tools – if they have enough competences, enough knowledge, enough tools to spread their creativity, so they can educate people and promote a good/higher vision for society about a considered situation. The change I want to bring: short-term: a better use of social media by people; medium-term: a better understanding and use of the Internet and digital communication in general to spread a positive influence; long-term: a real behavioral change of people.

The documentary Hora di Bai, [“Time to leave”], produced by the filmmaker, Samira Vera-Cruz, will be present from 13 to 21 April on the Big Island among 23 short films from 18 countries of Africa for “ at the 2018 Pan-African-Zebu Festival. A true heritage of mixing European culture with African roots where there is a strong Catholic belief brought by Europeans and the preservation of the belief of the indigenous people of Mother Africa, imported by slaves on the island. The Pan-African Festival aims to promote African cinema and demonstrate the potential and talents of young filmmakers on this continent while emphasizing quality, quantity, and creativity. She won the 25-year-old PALOP-TL EU Short Film Competition, representing Cape Verde, which led to her first short documentary –

From the small rural villages in the West of Madagascar to India’s Barefoot College to find out sustainable solutions to switch off the use of kerosene and others unsustainable energy sources so as to start producing the renewable energy for their communities. After 6 months training, 4 older women are back home skilfull, empowered, and energized to provide electricity to nearly 390 households in  Lavomanitra and Tsaratànana villages, both located in the protected areas managed by WWF Madagascar and Madagascar National Parks. The target of this training supported by WWF in partnership with the College’s Solar Engineer programme is older women, taking into consideration the programme’s sustainability and consistently follow up of that since they are less likely to move to the city when they returning from the training. * production of solar panels and lamps for lighting and other household tasks such as solar electrification, hot water, solar cooker, fresh drinkable water, etc.; * reduce the need for inefficient governmental subsidies for more expensive fossil fuels; * the use of solar energy reduces pollution; * enhances opportunities for education and development in rural areas, particularly for women,” said Jean-Philippe Denruyter,  WWF’s Renewable Energy Manager.