Cassima Mara has become the guardian of what was the most fortified Portuguese barracks in the former colonies and which is now "neglected", with little more than the rubble from the battles that were fought in the south of Guinea-Bissau.

This Guinean fought alongside the Portuguese and is now committed to fulfilling the purpose of the one they called "the dreamer", known as "Pepito", who dreamed of Guiledje being the only museum space in Guinea-Bissau about the national liberation struggle for independence.

The project stopped with the death of the mentor, in 2014, and only two pavilions remain with some remains among the rubble of old buildings, carcasses of war vehicles, ammunition and monuments of the old barracks near the border with Guinea-Conakry.

Cassima Mara feels "happy" to guide Lusa on a visit to the site and to be one of the characters in the history of this space, where he joined the Portuguese when he was between "15 and 16 years old".

He was born in the tabanca (village) next to the barracks and continues to live there, convinced that "it is important to keep this place because it is historical".

"It is historical", he repeats several times, insisting that "history is not lost, history values a place".

He is proud when he speaks of Guiledje, "of the vast barracks" that "had a lot of weapons for the Portuguese", who did not have such a secure barracks as this one.

"This was the great support of the Portuguese, there was all kinds of materials here, including armoured shelters. Only the Portuguese military were a battalion, there were also recruited militias here, very brave local military for the Portuguese", he said.

Cassima "did some services for the Portuguese, washed dishes, brought food, took clothes to the laundress and brought water for the military".

He also loaded ammunition for heavy weapons when there was an attack on the barracks.

"I did not go into the bush to make war, but if there was war here in the barracks I was one of the people who helped the Portuguese to carry the ammunition for the weapons", he specified.

He says that "to conquer independence" of Guinea-Bissau from Portugal, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) "had to overthrow Guiledje". And it did.

On May 22, 1973, the Portuguese abandoned the barracks, taking with them the Guineans who accompanied them.

Cassima recalls that day, when they fled together and their destination was Bolama, after a long walk of soldiers, women and children.

This Guinean and other countrymen decided to return to the tabanca after independence, almost a year later and with the barracks already in the possession of the PAIGC and the new Guinean State.

Later, Guiledje entered the projects of the Guinean agronomist Carlos da Silva, known as "Pepito" and for the diversity of actions, covered by the non-governmental organization AD (Action for Development).

"Pepito" planned the Guiledge Memory Museum for the old Portuguese military barracks, which Cassima helped to build with foreign funding.

"At the beginning of the museum's construction, we had to clear the site, because it was dangerous to walk, there were mines, there were snakes, I was the one who made the path and hired people", he said.

What was done now "is neglected", observed the man who accompanies the visits to the site. In dry weather there are some.

He was also the one indicated by "Pepito" "to manage the museum, but over time the local community and the government community did not respect that", which saddens him.

He has other resources to live, but he continues to go to the barracks "just to fulfill Pepito's purpose".

He would like this idea, which they dreamed together, to come true and for the memory not to be erased.

In his memories he keeps the day of the opening of the Guiledge barracks, when "an artillery battalion came".

Many "military chiefs" also went to these barracks. António Spínola himself went to Guiladge "to make a formation and give military orders".

"Pepito", as he recalled, "made a great effort" to revitalize this space, "but the canoe was left behind" because "without a successor the work will not go ahead".

He continues to believe that "there may be someone who does" as much or more than he did.

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