Advertisement
Published: November 4th 2005
I have got a good story, especially for those of you who know me.
I love my job. I spend most of my time working with a three-year-old non-governmental organization, started by a very ambitious and tree-loving young guy. With him and his ONG (that is NGO in French) I have ridden my bike throughout the countryside meeting women’s groups who keep their villages clean, grafted mango trees, and gathered Teak tree seeds.
This is the story: Last Sunday I was with the president of the ONG, who I work with. He had told me that we would be climbing trees to gather the seeds. I was so excited. We rode our bikes with two other guys in the ONG to the trees, laden with seeds. The two other guys scrambled easily up the youngish trees and I asked eagerly where I could go. The boss said, no, I would not climb because I would get dirty. I assured him I did not mind getting dirty, and that I really wanted to climb a tree, even though I knew I could not climb as well as the others. He said no, it was not for girls, and to come over here, he and I would gather the seeds falling on the ground. I swallowed. I blinked. I was not surprised to hear something like that, having been in the culture for a while, but I thought to myself, “Hello. My name is Erika Kraus. You just challenged me. Prepare to battle.” I did not move. I asked why I had come if I were not going to climb the tree. He said again that it was not for girls. He must have seen something in my eyes because, since I still made no move to drop the subject or to follow him, he told me to go ahead, climb the tree.
Victory!! I had so much fun climbing those trees, shaking branches to get seeds to fall and using palm leaves to poke more seeds. He told me later that I was strong, and that he was glad I had waited to climb the tree until he told me I could. So, he knew he had better just let me climb the tree so he could feel like he as in charge, though he knew that really, I would have climbed that tree anyway. I don’t know about strong, but definitely stubborn. Just tell me I cannot do something, I dare you! I am in the mood to prove otherwise. One thing I will admit, though, is that I must be able to “prove otherwise” in a skirt. I am in the process.
This is not the same ONG that came with my site description that included bee keeping. Though I might still have some opportunities to work with apiculture, I will be enjoying most of my time with this ONG. AS.P.E.L., l’Association pour la Protection de l’Environmente et des Localites, in contrast to the other ONG I was originally assigned to, likes to work with their hands. They are young and eager and genuine and honest. The other ONG asked me to find more money for them. Ugh. With those guys, I schmooze like a true politician. I ride motos. I drink expensive imported beer while watching the men disrespect the women in the buvette who are serving us. I just about get sick. With AS.P.E.L., I get dirty. I learn the local language. I learn how to graft trees. I drink local, inexpensive Sodabe. I ride my bike. I am utterly content.
I am lucky, in this situation, because I was able to work with AS.P.E.L. because the previous volunteers knew the guy who started it. Otherwise, the ONG is too small and local to be able to pull in a volunteer. The larger, notoriously less honest ONGs are the organizations that have the swing to get volunteers into their communities. It is the small guys, though, like AS.P.E.L., who are the best to work with. Maybe that’s just me.
If you can’t tell, I am thrilled to pieces. I keep thinking of what I had hoped for and dreamed of after receiving my invitation to Benin; of riding my bike all over, planting trees, working with all members of the community, even having a dog, my home with a garden, and watching birds; and here it all is. Oh, just thrilled.
In other news, I can report that I did, in fact, do some traveling. There was a Halloween party about four hours from me in a village with one of the few remaining large stands of virgin forest. Yes, yes, the party was fun of course, but the FOREST! The forest was lovely. I walked 20 minutes to an observation tower that stood in the midst of tall, grand Iroko, where I could hear birds, monkeys, and Africa’s equivalent of the squirrel. The path was clear, but overhead was a ceiling of vines, while the trees towered above that. The air was thick with water, the leaves dripped onto my head, but there were not many insects to bother me. Nature at its best. Someone was really thinking well to have not placed me there, because I probably never would have left. I will be going there again. A research center is there too, and I want to know all about it.
I like to read the words a great man gave me, “Dream big dreams, then dig out your work clothes.” I am very happy to be able to join those people in Benin who are already doing that.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.167s; Tpl: 0.016s; cc: 7; qc: 89; dbt: 0.0984s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Great Greta
non-member comment
So cute!
Erika, you are so cute sitting on the porch with your doggie! You made me cry with that picture. This is the Erika I know so well who would hide in the field with a book while we are all wondering where you had disappeared to!! Love the dress too. What are they called again?