Fanny Martins
“I was born here in Cape Verde,” Fanny Martins told us. “I was born in Santiago Island, in Praia in April of 1990. My roots are also in Fogo island. My grandmother from my father's side was from there.”
Fanny Manny is the creator of Falar Tabu, a doctor, and an advocate for empowerment and self-love, among many other things!
Poderoza Conference has been following Fanny’s work for some time and we asked Fanny if she would sit down with us for an interview.
We are excited to honor Fanny with our most recent Kriola spotlight!
When Fanny was born her family lived in Achada Santo António (Txada). ”When I turned 5/6 we moved to my grandfather's home in Tira-Chapéu and that's where I spent most of my childhood,” Fanny said. “Later, when I was starting high school (age 12) we moved to Achada São Filipe.”
5 months ago, I made the decision to come back home [after living in The Bahamas], so now I live in Cape Verde-Praia-Achada São Filipe,” Fanny said.
What type of work do you do?
“This is probably one of the hardest questions for me to answer because I do so many things lol, but right now I'm focused on my medical career,” Fanny said. “So right now, I'm a doctor. I'm in the process of going back to the health field after 5 years.”
Can you tell us about the amazing projects in which you are involved?
“Sure! I would love to share about my project called ‘FALAR TABU’,” Fanny said. “It's a platform/movement that focus on mental health in the Cape Verdean community. With the platform, it gives us, a safe space to talk about uncomfortable but necessary topics. These topics use to be discussed on Instagram Live every Sunday. We've also done workshops, meet up, and now, a new project called ‘KAMINHADA TERRA TERRA’.”
Fanny is an adventurer.
Why are you proud to be Kriola?
Just the word KRIOLA, has so much power. I'm proud to be a KRIOLA because it tells people my history. It reminds me of how hard my ancestors fought for me to be here. It reminds me how brave my people are, particularly the women. Hard working, intelligent, adaptable, a glue to Cape Verdean families. So, I am beyond proud to be a Kriola.
Can you tell us about Falar Tabu?
“Falar Tabu is what I needed at my darkest/lowest point in my life. A safe place, where I could reach out to my brothers and sister for help,” said Fanny. “A platform where I would see people just like me, sharing their stories, with no judgment. A community with tools and Resources to help me grow and a person. A tribe where people know that they are not alone. We as a people, we've had so many bad things done to us, we know our history.”
“As a result, we have mental health issues, that were never properly addressed,” Fanny said. “Our community is suffering in silence. Suicide is a scary reality here in Cape Verde, our young people are losing hope, it's a sad situation and we need to start addressing it. So, Falar Tabu is starting the conversation, so we can heal.”
Why do you think it's important to promote confidence in Cabo Verdean women?
Fanny as a Baby
“Because we are not used to it,” Fanny said. “Because for years and years, tracing back to slavery, we were brainwashed to think that who we were, our skin, our hair, our nose, our lips, our being, was inferior, we were taught to think that our voice didn't matter, so confidence is something new for us.
“There is a lot of work that needs to be done to change that narrative,” said Fanny. “It's crucial that we continue to promote confidence in our communities, it's the only way for us to break the cycle for the next generation.”
Fanny had a few closing words for the Kriola community:
”YOU ARE NOT ALONE! We are all here trying to figure it out, but know that you are not alone, we are a tribe of powerful Kriolas and need to support each other, so don't be afraid to speak your truth and let's help each other grow in power.” - Fanny Martins
Connect with Fanny!
Instagram: @fanny_mmartins e @falartabu
Facebook: Falar Tabu.
Facebook: Kaminhada Terra Terra
