Goats, sheep, cows and donkeys roam freely around our house and on our field where the maize has began to sprout. It is a very disencouraging sight and very frustrating considering that cattle owners are obliged to attach or supervise their animals during the farming season.
One day, Mousa and I returned from the village to find three goats in our small garden next to the house, standing in the middle of the onions. Without a word, we began the chase around houses, through courtyards and open terrain. After 10 minutes, we caught a small goat and attached it with a rope to a post next to our house. In the evening, one of our neighbours came and asked in apologetic tone if we wouldn't give him the goat back. He promised to attach it in the future. As it was the first time, we gave it back to him.
The following morning, most goats and sheep in our neighbourhood were secured with ropes. Obviously, our action the previous day had not gone unnoticed. It wasn't long however until the next goat started nibbling our maize. Again, we chased it. When we had it, we did not waste time attaching it next to our house but carried it - under the protests of the goat and its owner - to the village chief's compound. As we didn't find the chief at home, we left the goat with some other persons there. When we returned in the evening, the chief had already handed over the goat to its owner after a few reproachful words. I was disappointed as I had hoped for a fine for the owner, to be shared between the chief and the person bringing in the culprit animal. That way we had spent a lot of time and energy without any kind of compensation or reward.
The same afternoon I discussed this topic with a friend. He told me with a broad smile about his way to deal with the problem. The antelope we had eaten at his place a few days before (I had since had a bad conscience about eating the meat of such a rare animal) had not really been an antelope - but a goat he had killed on his peanut field. I was surprised and relieved (because of the "antelope") and readily agreed to join him on his next antelope hunt the same evining. Unfortunately (or fortunately), no further "antelopes" showed up this time. Had the goat owners learnt their lesson?
Sunday, 10 July 2011
Friday, 8 July 2011
Madiaso
Madiaso is a large village with about 3000 or 4000 inhabitants. It is a crossroads for various villages, two main roads connect it with the cities of Mangodara (45 km) and Banfora (70 km). None of the roads are concrete however. There is no eletricity but the village cinema - a television powered with a diesel engine - provides the whole village with the sounds of (mostly action) movies each night. That is if there's no football. If there is football on tv, you might get the impression that there's a stadium with at least 20 000 seats in town.
Most of the population live off agriculture but there are many traders, women selling food (though not a great variety of food) and several barbers. Moreover, we have a pharmacy and a few mechanics plus about a dozen small shops selling everything from bisquits to superglue.
Mousa had arranged for a small house made of concrete for us. It has two small rooms and a concrete platform on which we often sit in the evenings. In the night, it is very hot under our tin roof so I usually sleep outside on a straw matress.
It is in Madiaso that Mousa wants to build a future for himself. Here, his father worked as a lokal health councillor before the family moved to Banfora. He was the first person in the village to work his field with a plough pulled by bulls. Today, this is the standard and we, plowing with the daba bas (a large, flat hoe), the exception.
At the moment, our work is centred around three locations:
1. a small field around our house where we cultivate maize, beans and sweet potatos
2. a piece of land (approx. one and a half hectares) two km out of town that Mousa purchased from the village chief. Here, we have been planting trees
3. a small plot on the outskirts of the village where Mousa's family lived several years ago. Here, Mousa wants to build a compound for himself in the years to come and start a commercial garden. The latter has been our main occupation up to now. Just to create a good fence to keep off the goats, sheep etc. that roam freely through and around the town is a huge challenge! We have spent several days cutting branches and thorn trees for the protection.
Most of the population live off agriculture but there are many traders, women selling food (though not a great variety of food) and several barbers. Moreover, we have a pharmacy and a few mechanics plus about a dozen small shops selling everything from bisquits to superglue.
Mousa had arranged for a small house made of concrete for us. It has two small rooms and a concrete platform on which we often sit in the evenings. In the night, it is very hot under our tin roof so I usually sleep outside on a straw matress.
It is in Madiaso that Mousa wants to build a future for himself. Here, his father worked as a lokal health councillor before the family moved to Banfora. He was the first person in the village to work his field with a plough pulled by bulls. Today, this is the standard and we, plowing with the daba bas (a large, flat hoe), the exception.
At the moment, our work is centred around three locations:
1. a small field around our house where we cultivate maize, beans and sweet potatos
2. a piece of land (approx. one and a half hectares) two km out of town that Mousa purchased from the village chief. Here, we have been planting trees
3. a small plot on the outskirts of the village where Mousa's family lived several years ago. Here, Mousa wants to build a compound for himself in the years to come and start a commercial garden. The latter has been our main occupation up to now. Just to create a good fence to keep off the goats, sheep etc. that roam freely through and around the town is a huge challenge! We have spent several days cutting branches and thorn trees for the protection.
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