I made a commitment to myself to not pick up any “souvenirs” along the course of the race. I wanted to keep my pack as light as possible and my possessions as minimalist as I could manage. So far, I have been extremely successful in this goal. However, the one thing that I have picked up along the way is a capulana.
A capulana is a rectangular piece of cloth that the women in Mozambique use to wrap around their waists to wear as a skirt. This was very convenient to have month 1, since all of our ministry had to be done in skirts. The girls would wear shorts around the compound, then we’d all grab our capulanas when it was time to leave for ministry.
In addition to being a skirt, my team and I have found a plethora of uses for a capulana. It is the most versatile piece of fabric I have ever seen. We’ve brainstormed a list of all of the things we’ve used a capulana for over the past three months:
- Towel- In Zavala (a city in Mozambique) we had the opportunity to go swimming in the Indian Ocean. Instead of using the towels we use for showering, we used our capulanas.
- Dress- After drying off from swimming in the ocean, we wrapped our capulanas around us as loose dresses so that we could continue drying off in the back of the truck on the ride “home” to the village we were staying at.
- Yoga mat- When the only space you have to work out in is dirt, it’s nice to have a thin layer of soft fabric to create a barrier between you and the ground.
- Blanket- A sleeping bag is very hot to use in 80 degree weather, but when you want something to serve as an extra shield from mosquitos at night, a capulana is a perfect substitute.
- Sheets- In Swaziland, we were blessed with mattresses to sleep on. However, they didn’t come with sheets. Everyone in the room pulled out their capulanas without question, and these became our sheets for the month.
- Headwrap- Used on the days where we were too busy (or lazy) to wash our hair.
- Sunshield- Riding in the back of a truck for hours means that we’re completely exposed to the sun. Sunscreen is great, but a capulana provides shade that makes you feel 10 degrees cooler. We draped it over our heads, necks, arms, legs, and feet.
- Scarf- Refer to “sunshield” above. I have yet to use it as a scarf to keep me warm, but I’m sure a capulana would be perfect for this as well.
- Baby carrier- The women in Mozambique (and many other places in Africa) carry their babies on their backs using just a capulana to wrap around their children for support. They place their baby on their back, put the capulana around the baby, and tie it in a knot on the front of their bodies. Honestly, this keeps kids just as safe and secure as any high tech contraption found in the States.
- Pillow- If rolled into a ball, they come in handy as a pillow on long travel days. It packs up small when folded, making it convenient to use not only as a pillow on travel days, but also as a blanket for cold planes and airports.
- Sack/Bag- After riding in the back of a truck to a market place and first using a capulana to shield the sun, it can then be used as a sack to carry around fruit and other necessities that are purchased.
- Table Cloth- This is for when we’re feeling fancy.
- Curtain- When the sun is shining through the windows and your only objective for the afternoon is to take a nap, hanging a capulana over the window cuts down the sunlight by at least 75%.
It’s only the middle of month three and I’ve come to learn that the versatility of a capulana makes this one of the most valuable items in my possession. Not only is it practical, it is a physical reminder of the importance of being flexible and adaptable on the race. I’m excited to see the differing uses it will provide as we move through the race and are immersed in different cultures and environments.
