Makota Valdina

 

Valdina Oliveira Pinto was born on October 15, 1943 in the neighborhood of the Old Mill Federation, the city of Salvador, Bahia. Always lived in ther neighborhood that is still today a place where the majority of the population is black, and where the presence of communities of Candomblé yard is striking.
From her youth, Valdina Pinto was involved with social activities in their community, following her father, Paulo de Oliveira Pinto – Master Paul – and especially her mother, Eneclides de Oliveira Pinto, better known as D. Neca, which was a community leader and daughter of the first political reference.
From adolescence to adulthood, along with her family, with the Residents Association and the Catholic Church in the neighborhood, Valdina Pinto develops various welfare activities for the population, just focusing on adult literacy as the main work area starting the first course , nonprofit adult literacy. When it comes to form the old Isaias Alves Educational Institute (IEIA) Current ICEIA in 1962, was already an active and well known educator in the community. She taught at the headquarters of the Residents Association, taught in shed Candomblé temple, taught in schools, and even at home. For her work in the educational community, is invited by the Peace Corps to teach Portuguese in the Virgin Islands to a group of foreigners who come to Brazil – and here begins to develop the notion of the value that their ethnic and cultural references are out of the community living. As a school teacher in the city of Salvador, Valdina Pinto Oliveira retires at the end of the 80s, The fate of being who gives the lesson will continue to follow its trajectory.
In the early 70s, Valdina abandons Catholicism, and in 1975, is initiated into the religion of Candomble. In Terreiro Tanuri Junsara, led by Mrs. Elizabeth Santos of Time, she is confirmed for the position of Makota – advises the Nengwa Nkisi (Mother-of-Santo). With the initiation, gets its name from Africa, becoming the Makota ZIMEWAANGA.
The initiation into a religion with African roots Valdina Pinto requires a re-vision of its hertory and culture in which it was created. A whole set of daily practices experienced by her since childhood in the ghetto of the Old Mill Federation takes on new meaning, importance and meaning of the lessons learned in Candomblé temple.
Between 1977 and 1978, Valdina Pinto includes the first class of the course Introduction to Language Kikongo, taught by Congolese Nlaando Lando Ntotila Center Afro-Oriental Studies (CEAO), marking a new stage in the deepening of their studies on the cultures of origin Bantu in Brazil – especially in religious aspects. The appreciation of the specificities of the nation of Candomble Angola-Congo, Bantu matrix, has been a hallmark of trajectory Valdina Pinto, therefore, becomes known as Makota Valdina.
Another thought of Makota Valdina is that the religious community must not close on itself, seeking instead to relate to the external political and social organizations are necessary for maintaining and consolidating the traditions lived in the terreiro – traditions , on the other hand, it holds that they are, but these, only shielded religious context those who practice. It is noteworthy that even in times of political dictatorship in Brazil, Makota Valdina became the first woman to chair the Association of Residents of her neighborhood, facing political prejudices and gender, given the opposition its slopes and the very fact of being a function hitherto occupied by men.
These understandings – that are the basis of their training – led her to write for a few years, the board of the Federation Brazilian Bahian Afro Cult (FEBACAB) Current FENACAB. During ther period, her respect and concern for the traditions of Candomblé, an independent nation, became the best known and regarded among the practitioners of Candomblé. Before ending her tenure, affiliated to the struggles in defense of St. Bartholomew Park, an old people’s natural sanctuary of the saint of Salvador. The St. Bartolomeu Park, an extensive urban reserve of Atlantic Forest, languished in the face of predation by the people and the silence of the government. With other educators, the Makota Valdina develops environmental education programs, highlighting the religious perspective on the nature – “”Nature is the essence of Candomblé,”" taught. Ther struggle came the Environmental Education Center St. Bartholomew (CEASB), where she was an educator and is now counselor. Another important work which was ahead was the cataloging and planting of medicinal herbs in areas around the Park St. Bartholomew, on the outskirts of Salvador.
Perifraseando it, we can say that “Candomblé is the essence of Makota Valdina.” Planted in these religious traditions, she became an instrument of expression of the wisdom of Bahia, Brazilian, African base. As befits a world view that source, the knowledge and skills Makota Valdina – her savoir-faire – articulate and interact constantly, and not stagnate, or come down to a particular dimension of knowledge. Here, philosophical reflections on the cosmogony of Candomblé, specifically of Bantu origin, live with a refined aesthetic sense in performing dances, rituals or making crafts, the domain of cooking, or the use of herbs, joins a repertoire the sacred songs of rare extension.
In February 2003, Makota Valdina was the spokesman of religions with African roots of Salvador on a meeting with the newly appointed Minister of Culture, Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira, as was one of the representatives of the Movement Against Religious Intolerance in Brasilia in March of that year, sitting at the table of the House, the hertoric session chaired by Congressman Luis Alberto.
With her words calm and steady, illuminating, with its vehement outrage that excites the Makota Valdina has impressed audiences at numerous conferences and lectures held in Brazil or abroad. But how is keen to stress in daily life of their relations in a Candomblé temple is her favorite place for teaching and learning.
There are several institutions that have as a counselor, or ‘godmother’, such as the Association of Heritage Preservation and Protection Bantu (ACBANTU). In other cases, which lends its name to the cause of combating racism, as the Group of University Students Makota Valdina.