“Bay Girl”, a controversial film that denounces the practices of child labor and forced marriage of girls in Guinea-Bissau, directed by Guinean journalist Mussá Baldé, is nearing completion.

Mussá Baldé, correspondent in Bissau for the Portuguese news agency and the Portuguese-language service of RFI (Radio France International), said that the film is primarily intended to support civil society organizations in Guinea-Bissau that work on this issue.

When you finish editing the film “Tray Girl”, Mussá Baldé intends to deliver copies of the work to any organization that wants to have access to the film, or that are partners in this work, for dissemination and community awareness.

In addition to promoting the film in Guinea-Bissau, Mussá Baldé wants to do the same abroad. The idea is to take the film to international festivals and film screenings, starting in Portugal, because the world needs to know what's happening in Guinea-Bissau.

Despite the extensive awareness-raising work that has been done over the years, these two issues, child labor and early or forced marriage, are still a daily occurrence in Guinea-Bissau.

The goal is to promote the film domestically and internationally so that various communities, even those not directly affected by these scourges, may eventually be interested in learning more about the reality of Guinea-Bissau and helping the country confront these scourges.

The film, which runs for approximately 70 minutes, aims to demonstrate some of the hardships faced by girls engaged in street vending, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, physical violence, and psychological violence.

Mussá Baldé aims to demonstrate that street vending and forced marriage are also factors in the low educational attainment of the female population in Guinea-Bissau and to prove that any girl who receives support and guidance can study, graduate, and help the country.

“Children engaged in street vending are more likely to not attend school or perform well in school.”

“There are cases of girls who travel around 25 kilometers a day to sell goods on the streets in Bissau.”

“Because of this, these girls are exposed to early pregnancy or forced marriage”, said Mussá Baldé.

The sixth Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), conducted by the Guinean Government and UNICEF, in partnership with UN agencies such as UNDP, UNFPA and WFP, as well as the European Union, published in October 2020, reveals, among other conclusions, that the phenomenon of early marriage of minors continues to be a reality in Guinea-Bissau.

The document reveals that 25,7% of girls under 18 are married in Guinea-Bissau, of which 11,4% are in urban areas and 36,1% in rural areas. In Guinea-Bissau, one in three children works, representing 39% of all children aged 5 to 17.

"This alarming data prompted me to think about making a film that could highlight the reality of children/girls who are forced by adults to marry and who are subjected to child labor.", explains Mussá Baldé.

The Civil Code in force in Guinea-Bissau stipulates that marriage is only legal from the age of 16.

Mussá Baldé began writing the script about two years ago and began filming on February 28, 2025, with the participation of high school and university students from Guinea-Bissau and Guinean actors.

Given the lack of equipment in Guinea-Bissau, Mussá Baldé intends, after pre-editing and editing in Bissau, to conduct post-production in Lisbon to correct technical aspects and handle subtitling. "Minina di Bandeja" is spoken in Creole, and the plan is to have copies with subtitles in Portuguese, French, English, and Spanish.

“The film will not be sold, no one will pay to watch this film.”

“It is designed to publicize and raise awareness about combating the scourge of child labor and early or forced marriage”, reiterates Mussá Baldé.

Mussá Baldé acknowledges that the project is a financial risk, as the film's budget is only 40% covered by initial support from UNICEF, UNFPA and the Bank of West Africa.

“It's a bold move on my part, but also, if I don't have the courage, I'll never make the film again.”, vinca.

Mussá Baldé has contacted other institutions and hopes they will join the project, particularly the Camões Institute, which he considers a very important institution in helping and promoting human rights in Guinea-Bissau.

“So right now we’re short around 60% of the film’s budget.”

“But, thank God, with the support from the Bank of West Africa, we bought new equipment in Lisbon and now we're moving forward.”, he adds.

Mussá Baldé hopes that institutions interested in these issues will realize that they need to help, because he is doing work that will help them in the work they also do.

"Tray Girl"is a mirror of Guinea-Bissau that many insist on ignoring. Mussá Baldé courageously lifts the veil on the girls who carry trays instead of books and exchange dreams interrupted by forced marriages. The work challenges not only Guinean society, but the world, to ask: how many childhoods must be stolen before we act?

Baldé's commitment to free copies reveals the urgency of the issue. If the city council denounces it, it's up to the institutions to transform outrage into action. With 60% of the budget yet to be secured, the project requires more than financial support—it demands collective awareness. For, as the director says:

“No girl was born to sell on the street or to be a wife before she was a woman.”