Rosalina’s Story

Rosalina  is 16 years old from Chinhuque in Sofala Province, Mozambique. Chinhuque is a small community where young people would rather spend their time hanging out at night than going to church or school. In this community, many girls get married and have children very early.

Rosalina is very sincere when talking about the reality of her struggle for her future. In Chinhuque, she has many friends and family members who question the value of her studies. She often hears negative statements and questions such as, “You are losing your time studying,” “Why are you studying?” “You need a husband because your father is poor and cannot pay for your studies,” and “Why are you not married to someone working in South Africa?” Many men visit Rosalina to propose marriage, but she repeatedly declines because of her decision to study and her dream of being a nurse.

There currently are 43 girls in the Machanga Girls’ Center. For 10 years, this center has served many young women, families, and the greater communities surrounding the Machanga District. The girls at the center are all in secondary school and have hope for a better future for themselves and their families.

Rosalina lived in the Girls’ Center in 2010, but in 2011 her father did not have money to pay the living fee, forcing her to stay elsewhere.  To allow her to continue studying, a teacher allowed Rosalina to move in her house in exchange for doing chores. However, she was working so hard around the house that it often limited her ability to study.  Even though she could not always do her homework, she was able to pass to the next school level, thanks to God. Rosalina finally came back for the current school year, where she is very happy to be in the center again.  At the center, she learns Spanish, makes handicrafts, and enjoys doing her homework. She is determined to finish her studies, and therefore is not interested in having a boyfriend. She said that she has learned from observing her 12 to 15 year old friends that already have children.


Rosalina loves that the center has international “Titias” (an affectionate Portuguese name for the women who work with and care for the girls). This is the third year MCC has brought a young female volunteer from overseas to share experiences and broaden the girls’ worldview. In 2009, the center had a SALT participant from Canada. The next year, the girls had their first YAMEN!** participant from Brazil. Kenia, this year’s YAMEN! participant from Bolivia, arrived at the center in October 2011 and is delighted to live with and serve each girl. She desires that every girl will have a deep relationship with God, know His will for her life, and can use her hands to work for a better future.

Every day the girls wake up at 4:45am to do their chores, have breakfast, and go to school. At the center, “Titia” Kenia leads fun and educational activities for the girls. Each evening at 8:00pm the girls have time for prayer and reflection before bedtime. On the weekends, the center encourages the girls to attend a local church. The girls enjoy going to church because there they can present a song they practice on Saturdays. Kenia also leads the girls to the nearby Savé River where they can play and bathe.

We are grateful for our Global Family supporters who are making the educational lives of Rosalina and her friends easier and more affordable. Through these generous contributions, young women at the Machanga Girls’ Center are able to grow, learn, and have a better future for themselves and their families.

**YAMEN!: Young Anabaptist Mennonite Exchange Network (yamen.mcc.org)

Adapted from a report by Kenia (YAMENer at Machanga)