U.S. Ambassador to Mozambique, Peter H. Vrooman, recently visited Ilha de Moçambique to inaugurate the “Sea Sound” immersive exhibition titled “Nakhodha and the Mermaid.” This project, funded by the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, is a collaborative effort with Fundação Fernando Leite Couto and YC Creative Platform, led by filmmaker Yara Costa Pereira. The exhibition’s primary goal is to safeguard and promote the rich cultural, oral, and artistic heritage of the island’s fishing communities, particularly in Cabaceira Pequena and Ilha de Moçambique, a UNESCO World Heritage Site under threat from climate change and violent extremism. The U.S. Government allocated $161,280 for this endeavor, emphasizing its potential as a tool for community-based tourism and local resilience to climate change, which, according to Ambassador Vrooman, will contribute to job creation and tourism on this beautiful island. Ilha de Moçambique has previously received support from the Ambassador’s Cultural Preservation Funds, including a substantial investment in the Slave Wrecks Project, demonstrating the United States’ commitment to preserving and promoting cultural heritage in the region, particularly in the face of pressing challenges.
