Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Moçambique

Vasco Galante  

Director of Communications (vasco@gorongosa.net)

Lisbon (Portugal)

I always dreamed of coming to Africa to work with local communities to create a better future for African children. I feel that my academic background and previous managerial experiences in different countries are helping me to achieve the two main goals of the Gorongosa National Park Communications Department--create local and international awareness for the Park and transform Park visitors into Gorongosa advocates. I also have to admit that it is a privilege to work in such a beautiful place, surrounded by some of the most smiling people in the world.

Domingos João Muala

Teacher

Zambézia Province (Mozambique)

My name is Domingos João Muala.  I am a 28-year old Mozambican, originally from Arrozal-Chinde in Zambézia Province. At Gorongosa National Park, I work 50% in the Business Department helping with language training, computer lessons, translations, and planning various training programs with managers from different departments.  I also work 50% in the Human Development Department, helping to identify and encourage local potentially feasible actions that foster development in the communities. I love working in the area of Social Sciences and I have a special inclination for Psychology, Linguistics, Anthropology, and Philosophy. Actually, I am writing the History of Chitengo, of the local régulos (traditional leaders) and of the communities that interact with the Park, information that will be relevant for curious people.

My training is in religion (catholic) and my university training is in Educational Science.  My biggest passion is to succeed in persuading myself and others to reconcile the balance of behaviors profoundly biological and those profoundly social in relation to human daily life.  I believe that to examine the conscience and to always pay attention and selectively control individual behaviors is a difficult task, particularly in the capitalistic ideology.  But this is my calling. Language is the best model of human behaviors and attitudes, and that is why I chose to study linguistics.  So, as a medium through which most human daily interactions are based, language is my “hook.”