Mini WOW STORYTELLER, writer, Espargos, Cape Verde

Cape Verde (the Republic of Cabo Verde) is a small archipelago island nation in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Senegal. Cumulative land mass of the ten islands compares to that of Rhode Island in the United States, with the half of its population. The relatively strong economic growth in Cabo Verde over the past several years has been driven in part by the exports of salt, limestone, kaolin (type of clay), fish, clay and gypsum (source CIA.gov). Tourism and service industries are also important contributors to the economic growth. Cabo Verde is ranked 5th among 47 countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, and its overall score is well above the regional average and slightly above the world average.

According to Wikipedia, primary school education in Cape Verde is mandatory between the ages of 6 and 14 years and free for children ages 6 to 12. While enrollment rates indicate a level of commitment to education, they do not always reflect children’s participation in school. The literacy rate as of 2010 ranges from 75 to 80% and being the highest in the whole of West Africa south of the Sahara.

While visiting the island of Sal (Portuguese for “salt”) in Cape Verde, I was fortunate enough to receive an invitation to a special reading by an exceptional young woman. Jael is the daughter of a WOW Woman Ms. Divania Fortes and in this case the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Jael chose to spend this particular Saturday reading to the kindergarteners over playing with her friends. As the children listened in awe, I was watching Jael’s mother, her gentle smile, eyes filled with pride. This duo’s bond is strong, through thick and thin. Sweet little Jael knows a thing or two about confronting obstacles such as coming to terms with the diabetes and learning how to manage / understand this challenging condition. She is a trooper and, together with her mom, tries her best to stay positive, talking through frustrations and writing down her feelings. Jael worked on this special set of mini WOW Woman questions on her own with very little help from Divania. I later learned that some answers (their innocence and candid openness) moved Divania to tears which made me love this pair even more.

Jael is a thoughtful and caring young lady who earned herself a 200th WOW Woman feature as a mini WOW Woman. She embodies the optimism with which we should view our future. Please enjoy the 200th mini WOW Woman interview in both original Portuguese and (translated into) English.

1. What is your name and where are you from? What makes you feel happy in life?

Hello, my name is Jael da Luz Rocha. I was born on the island of Santo Antão, Cape Verde. What made me feel happy in life was being born, growing up, having two mothers, two fathers and as a result having a large family.

2. What is the hardest thing you had to do in life?

The saddest and most difficult thing that happened in my life was not having lived with my biological father because he died two months ago. Also it was sad for me to watch my adoptive parents separate.

4. What's your favourite colour and why?

My favorite color is red, which is the color of blood.

5. What are you reading now (name of the book)?

The book I'm reading is called “The Dragon With a Chocolate Heart” and I found it very interesting. It’s about a brave young dragon ready to explore the world outside her family's mountain cave. If only they'd let her leave it. Her family thinks she's too young to fly on her own, but she's determined to prove them wrong. When a human tricks her into drinking magic hot chocolate, she is transformed into a puny human without any sharp teeth, fire breath, or claws. Still, she's the fiercest creature in the mountains--and now she has found her true passion: chocolate. All she has to do is get to the human city to find herself an apprenticeship (whatever that is) in a Chocolate House.

6. Who is your most favourite adult and why?

The person in my family that I love the most is my adoptive mother.

7. What else do you want to learn about in the world?

What I would like to do most of all is to keep learning. I also want to teach what I have learned and help those who need it most.

8. How old will you turn next year?

I turn twelve on November 26th, 2020.

9. What are your three top wishes you want to come true?

The main three wishes that I want to see fulfilled are for my father to have his life again, for my mother and father to come back together and third, for this virus to end. There are still many other things I want to do, beyond three wishes, like take care of the environment.

10. What are three best qualities you like about yourself and why?

Three qualities that I like most about myself are: my sense of humor, knowing myself, and being good at reading to children (and telling them various stories).

11. If you could transform into an animal of your choice, which would it be and why?

If I could become an animal I would choose to be an eagle. Not only because of its magnificent qualities, but because it is an animal that touched my mind the most.

12. Advice for other girls?

My advice to others (girls and boys) is: do not be greedy, do not steal, do not find yourself in the middle of using drugs. Study hard, and one day you will have a dignified future.

1. Seu nome? De onde você é? O que faz você se sentir feliz na vida?

Olá o meu nome é Jael da Luz Rocha , nasci na ilha de Santo Antão, Cabo Verde e o que me fez sentir feliz na vida foi ter nascido, crescido, de ter 2 mães 2 pais e de ter uma grande família.

2. Qual a coisa mais difícil que você teve na vida?

A coisa mais triste e difícil  que aconteceu na minha vida foi não ter convivido com o meu pai biológico porque ele ja morreu faz 2 meses, e ter assistido a separação dos meu pais adotivos.

3. Onde é o seu lugar mais favorito na terra?

O meu lugar favorito no planeta terra  é o mar, se eu tivesse poderes eu escolheria o de curar pessoas ou doenças que matam como por exemplo este vírus novo.

4. Qual é a sua cor favorita e por quê?

A minha cor favorita é o vermelho que é a cor do sangue.

5. O que você está lendo agora (nome do livro)?

O livro que eu estou a ler chama-se rapariga com coração de chocolate e eu achei bem interessante.

7. O que mais você quer aprender no mundo?

O que eu mais quero aprender na minha vida é ensinar e ajudar os que mais precisam.

8. Quantos anos você completará no ano que vem?

No mês de Novembro no diav 26, 2020 eu faço 12 anos.

9. Quais são os seus três principais desejos que você deseja que se tornem realidade?

Os principais 3 desejos que eu quero ver a realizar são que o meu pai tenha vida novamente, que a minha mãe e o meu pai voltem que este vírus acabe ,e ainda tem muitas outras coisas que eu quero fazer, tipo cuidar domeio ambiente.

11. Se você pudesse se transformar em um animal de sua escolha, qual seria e por quê?

Se eu pudese me trasformar em um animal e escolheria a aguia, não somente pelas suas qualidades, mas por ela ser o animal que mais me tocou a minha mente.

12. Conselhos para outras meninas?

O meu conselho para as outras pesoas é que eles (as) não sejam gananciosos, que não roubem, e que eles as não metam no meio das droga, mas que estudem para um dia eles tenham um futuro digno.

E é isso, eu espero que o meu conselho vos sirva  algum dia.