(Update from November)
Recent news from Benin: getting desecrated on by a turkey, climbing a giant trash pile, being proposed to by village chiefs, and getting my big toe blessed by a local witch doctor have been the some of the latest news from Thanksgiving. About 2 months ago I got a chance to go to Cotonou for the day for vaccines and to pick up some food (that isnt available in Pobé) and mail (which has been a God-send-thank you all so much! it is such a Treat to get news from the outside world!) Work has been going well. I really love what Im doing-and though my nights are oftentimes hard to get through with boredom and loneliness setting in-the things Im doing at work are rewarding enough to motivate me through the next day.Currently Im working with a local health NGO doing baby weighing where we go from village to village to weigh babies, children, and other villagiouse in order to look for signs of and record malnutrition in the rural areas and to hand out vitamins and nutritional supplementation.
So Thanksgiving in Benin I ended up staying with a group of other volunteers in the country-some American filmmakers here doing a documentary on child trafficking in Benin, a Fulbright Scholar researching education reform, and other Peace Corps Volunteers and some of their friends visiting them for the holidays. Besides the obvious luxury of having someone other than myself to hang out with and see friends I hadn't seen since Training-the food brought from all around the country was a much needed break from the everyday diet of white starches and fried things that are so ubiquitous in my town. Between the 15 or so of us we had a marvelous compilation of all sorts of attempts of replicating American goodies: sweet potatoes (made from Beninese sweet potatoes which aren't the orange colored oval shaped sweet potatoes you all are familiar with), pies and cakes (ingredients sent courtesy of family from back home in the States), salad (the first I'd had in about 3 months!), and a turkey that survived the trek all the way through a 10+ hour bus and moto ride from the North of Benin to be slaughtered and deliciously prepared in Ketou (the town we had Thanksgiving in).
After gorging ourselves with "real" food for the first time in months, we headed over to spend the night at another volunteers house Peace Corps style-which entails setting up an assembly line of help to bail enough well water out for everyone to take a bucket shower before lining up like sardines to sleep on bamboo mats outside or if your lucky, a cot made out of a giant rice sack (actually really comfortable, comparably that is). The next day we headed out to see the infamous Ketou Trash Pile- a giant 40 foot mound of filth that has required a reputation apparently worthy of bringing tourists from near and far.This outing proved to be possibly one of the grossest things I've ever voluntarily put myself through-oh the things you do in Benin to keep yourself entertained… But then again I thought-when else am I ever going to have the opportunity and excuse to hike on a mountain made from things normal people wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole?? Things really got interesting upon descending from the Ketou Trash Pile- the villagers, and apparent guardians of the Trash Pile swarmed upon us and began getting quite irate at us for climbing what they deemed as a sacred monument, and demanded we pay our due respects. Obligingly, we stood around staring inquisitively at eachother as the lady in charge began to ceremoniously pour out water and bless each of our big toes. Lacking the traditional livestock sacrifice we each threw what little money we had on the ground and gathered together for a group picture the villagers wanted to take of us and went on our way. An strange Thanksgiving, but eventful nonetheless.
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Benin, West Africa
(From “The Bradt Travel Guide” by Stuart Butlerm and “The West African edition of the Lonely Planet”)
What: Republic of Benin
*Currently a newly democratic nation after 20 years of Marxist Dictatorship
*Renown for being the birthplace of Voodoo and also recognized as the Slave Coast as it was a major contributor to slave trade to Brazil, the Carribean and Haiti (where many of their African descendents originated from Benin)
*A southern coastal plain with flat lagoons, thick vegetation, and temperatures soaring to 45˚C and higher
*Classified by the United Nations as one of the world’s least developed and poorest countries
Where: In Sub Saharan West Africa along the Ivory Coast, bordered by Togo on the
west, Nigeria on the East, and Burkina Faso and Niger to the North
Size: 112,622 sq km-or roughly the size of Pennsylvania
Climate: Wet Tropical with strong monsoons between April-October, and high
temperatures and humidity all year long
Economy: mainly Subsistence Agriculture with main exports of cotton and palm oil
Average GDP: $1,100 per capita (stat from 2003)
Population: over 7.4 million (with the rural population exceeding urban figures)
Life Expectancy: 53 years old
Language: French (official language), Fon, Yoruba, and other tribal languages (Nagot is
the local language spoken in Pobé)
Religion: Highly religious and diverse, about 30% is Christian, 20% is Muslim, and the
remaining 50% practices traditional religions like voodoo (aka Vodun) and animism.
*In reality, whether Christian or Muslim or full fledged Vodun, aspects and rituals of voodoo are practiced by most in country regardless of religious affiliation.
Social Diversity: 20 different tribal groups comprise the culturally diverse state of Benin.
*Tribes are patrilineal, and are headed by Kings and Princes.
*Traditions are still observed regarding these authority figures and it is customary and expected to bow, kneel, or even get into a full lateral position (kind of like a push up) upon meeting or greeting royalty.
*Tribes can be differentiated by the language they speak or the scarification (designed scars on the face, arms and or body made with the use of a razor and ink) they are ordained with.
*Typical families have an average of 5 to 6 children, are patriarchal, and mostly polygamous.
Wildlife: Lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, hyenas, badgers, mongooses, baboons, green monkeys, antelope, African elephant, African buffalo, warthogs, aardvarks, pangolin, Nile crocodile, python, chameleon, viper, spitting cobra, black mamba, turtles, geckos and lizards
*Though this vast array of wildlife can be found in Benin, it is mostly concentrated in the North in the national parks. In the more developed areas in the South nearer to the coast, fish, lizards, geckos, snails, frogs, turtles, snakes, goats, sheep, pigs, and cattle rule the land.
Beninese History in Brief:
Originally ruled by the an expansion of different Kingdoms, the Dahomeyan empires began dabbling with Portuguese, French, British, and later Dutch trade beginning in the 17th century and ending with the infamous exploitation of slaves traded to the Americas. Millions of slaves were captured and sold by both the Dahomeyan Kings and European slave traders out of the coastal cities of Ouidah, Grand Popo, and Porto Novo in Benin. The 19th century marked the beginning of French colonization of the Dahomeyan kingdom and this period of social and political change would last for 70 years. When Dahomey (the former name for Benin under French Colonization) became an independent state in 1960, a series of political instability and civil unrest followed suit, resulting in 4 military coups, 9 changes of government, and 5 changes to the constitution. Dahomey became one of the most politically volatile nations in the region. The result was a 20 year dictatorship by Marxist Colonel Mathieu Kerekou. After almost two decades of corruption, human rights abuses, and a failing economy, the first free and multiparty elections were held in 1991. 2006 marked the end of Kerekou’s 33 years of political leadership and Benin is now a Democratic Republic under the leadership of democratically elected president Boni Yayi.
Fast Facts of Voodoo
*Practiced in West Africa dating back at least 4,000 years ago
*Birthplace: Benin; the Voodoo that is heard about in the States was brought from the Caribbean, South America, and Haiti, and originated from slaves from Benin’s Dahomeyan empire during the slave trade
* Voodoo big wigs I’ve come across-Charlitans (traditional healers), sorcerers, witches, Revenans (spirits of ancestors that have inhibited ornately decorated costumed live bodies), and fetishes (objects ranging from wooden carvings of men or children, to monkey skulls, to bones and weavings of hair, that embody and hold a spirits power and life)
Benin, West Africa
Benin, West Africa
Sunny
Sunny in Benin in Brief
Where: Pobé (pronounced Po-Bay)- a town an hour North of
the capital Porto Novo in
the Southeast of Benin close to the Nigeria border
Job Title: Rural Community Health Advisor
Work: Working as both the primary grassroots liason
field researcher for an International
NGO (Non Governmental Organization) called
Project Bokonon (http://www.projectbokonon.org/)
and at the local NGO GABF (Group d’action
pour l’Amour du Bien-etre Familial)-both
organizations works to improve the health,
hygiene, and sanitation of the community of
Pobé and surrounding villages.
Peace Corps objectives in Benin:
To improve poor nutrition, sanitation and hygiene, high
infant mortality rates, limited access to education and health care, and a lack of economic opportunity in order to combat poverty in the country. Also to encourage cross cultural exchange of information and dialogue between the people of Benin and the United States in an effort to open communication of cultural awareness and opportunities between the two nations.
Main Objectives as a Rural Community Health Advisor:
1) Promotion of prenatal and infant nutrition
2) Prevention of HIV/AIDS
3) Rural health education (prevention of avoidable but fatal diseases like malaria and dysentery)
the capital Porto Novo in
the Southeast of Benin close to the Nigeria border
Job Title: Rural Community Health Advisor
Work: Working as both the primary grassroots liason
field researcher for an International
NGO (Non Governmental Organization) called
Project Bokonon (http://www.projectbokonon.org/)
and at the local NGO GABF (Group d’action
pour l’Amour du Bien-etre Familial)-both
organizations works to improve the health,
hygiene, and sanitation of the community of
Pobé and surrounding villages.
Peace Corps objectives in Benin:
To improve poor nutrition, sanitation and hygiene, high
infant mortality rates, limited access to education and health care, and a lack of economic opportunity in order to combat poverty in the country. Also to encourage cross cultural exchange of information and dialogue between the people of Benin and the United States in an effort to open communication of cultural awareness and opportunities between the two nations.
Main Objectives as a Rural Community Health Advisor:
1) Promotion of prenatal and infant nutrition
2) Prevention of HIV/AIDS
3) Rural health education (prevention of avoidable but fatal diseases like malaria and dysentery)
Basics of Benin
(From “The Bradt Travel Guide” by Stuart Butlerm and “The West African edition of the Lonely Planet”)
What: Republic of Benin
*Currently a newly democratic nation after 20 years of Marxist Dictatorship
*Renown for being the birthplace of Voodoo and also recognized as the Slave Coast as it was a major contributor to slave trade to Brazil, the Carribean and Haiti (where many of their African descendents originated from Benin)
*A southern coastal plain with flat lagoons, thick vegetation, and temperatures soaring to 45˚C and higher
*Classified by the United Nations as one of the world’s least developed and poorest countries
Where: In Sub Saharan West Africa along the Ivory Coast, bordered by Togo on the
west, Nigeria on the East, and Burkina Faso and Niger to the North
Size: 112,622 sq km-or roughly the size of Pennsylvania
Climate: Wet Tropical with strong monsoons between April-October, and high
temperatures and humidity all year long
Economy: mainly Subsistence Agriculture with main exports of cotton and palm oil
Average GDP: $1,100 per capita (stat from 2003)
Population: over 7.4 million (with the rural population exceeding urban figures)
Life Expectancy: 53 years old
Language: French (official language), Fon, Yoruba, and other tribal languages (Nagot is
the local language spoken in Pobé)
Religion: Highly religious and diverse, about 30% is Christian, 20% is Muslim, and the
remaining 50% practices traditional religions like voodoo (aka Vodun) and animism.
*In reality, whether Christian or Muslim or full fledged Vodun, aspects and rituals of voodoo are practiced by most in country regardless of religious affiliation.
Social Diversity: 20 different tribal groups comprise the culturally diverse state of Benin.
*Tribes are patrilineal, and are headed by Kings and Princes.
*Traditions are still observed regarding these authority figures and it is customary and expected to bow, kneel, or even get into a full lateral position (kind of like a push up) upon meeting or greeting royalty.
*Tribes can be differentiated by the language they speak or the scarification (designed scars on the face, arms and or body made with the use of a razor and ink) they are ordained with.
*Typical families have an average of 5 to 6 children, are patriarchal, and mostly polygamous.
Wildlife: Lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, hyenas, badgers, mongooses, baboons, green monkeys, antelope, African elephant, African buffalo, warthogs, aardvarks, pangolin, Nile crocodile, python, chameleon, viper, spitting cobra, black mamba, turtles, geckos and lizards
*Though this vast array of wildlife can be found in Benin, it is mostly concentrated in the North in the national parks. In the more developed areas in the South nearer to the coast, fish, lizards, geckos, snails, frogs, turtles, snakes, goats, sheep, pigs, and cattle rule the land.
Beninese History in Brief:
Originally ruled by the an expansion of different Kingdoms, the Dahomeyan empires began dabbling with Portuguese, French, British, and later Dutch trade beginning in the 17th century and ending with the infamous exploitation of slaves traded to the Americas. Millions of slaves were captured and sold by both the Dahomeyan Kings and European slave traders out of the coastal cities of Ouidah, Grand Popo, and Porto Novo in Benin. The 19th century marked the beginning of French colonization of the Dahomeyan kingdom and this period of social and political change would last for 70 years. When Dahomey (the former name for Benin under French Colonization) became an independent state in 1960, a series of political instability and civil unrest followed suit, resulting in 4 military coups, 9 changes of government, and 5 changes to the constitution. Dahomey became one of the most politically volatile nations in the region. The result was a 20 year dictatorship by Marxist Colonel Mathieu Kerekou. After almost two decades of corruption, human rights abuses, and a failing economy, the first free and multiparty elections were held in 1991. 2006 marked the end of Kerekou’s 33 years of political leadership and Benin is now a Democratic Republic under the leadership of democratically elected president Boni Yayi.
Fast Facts of Voodoo
*Practiced in West Africa dating back at least 4,000 years ago
*Birthplace: Benin; the Voodoo that is heard about in the States was brought from the Caribbean, South America, and Haiti, and originated from slaves from Benin’s Dahomeyan empire during the slave trade
* Voodoo big wigs I’ve come across-Charlitans (traditional healers), sorcerers, witches, Revenans (spirits of ancestors that have inhibited ornately decorated costumed live bodies), and fetishes (objects ranging from wooden carvings of men or children, to monkey skulls, to bones and weavings of hair, that embody and hold a spirits power and life)
About me
Hey-My name is Sunny & welcome to my Benin blog-those of you who know me know im not computer savvy enough to start this thing up on my own, but my amazing friend Lizzie very graciously volunteered to create this blog to help me keep in touch w/ all of you while I'm overseas. Ill be writing her (when I can) and she will post my letters/news on this site so that those of you who would otherwise be in touch with me via cell or in person can maintain a somewhat connected relationship with me while I'm gone. I'm still fairly uniformed of my communication abilities once I'm in country but according to other international volunteer friends-this seems to be the way to go.
(A little about me if you didn't already know) Graduated this past May from Queens University of Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina inInternational Studies in Developing Countries with a Double Concentration in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese For the past 4 years i've also been a nanny, a Spanish night class teacher, sales girl, international volunteer teaching English, and an Intern at a local non profit NGO for cross cultural learning-so naturally im interested in going to Africa to live in a mudhut and hang with the jungle rats. So why am I doing this-seriously? Insatiable appetite for adventure and challenge-call it wanderlust or just a reaction to extreme suburban boredom. That and an ever growing sense of duty and compassion for the developing world-an admittedly inconvenient passion-but mine nonetheless. Travel and cultural immersion has always been a huge part of my life-its taken me from South Korea to South Georgia-with intermittent residences,mission trips, and vacations to Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Mexico, England, Germany, Spain, Italy, Chile, Japan, and China-and now Benin with the hopes of exploring more of my newest fascination-the African continent.
Ultimately I'm hoping this experience will relieve me of some of my impatience to get involved with some of the issues that have been so heavy in my heart for so long-and give me some added experience to pursue a career in International Humanitarian Aid. Its been exhausting preparing for my leave-and despite varying waves of anxiety about whats to come and sadness about parting from all of you who I love and will miss terribly-I know without a doubt that this is the very best thing for me at this time in my life. I will be keeping in close touch with all of you through this site-and email and air mail hopefully as well!
Disclaimer: The views & words on this blog reflect only the thoughts & opinions of Sunny Alley (via Lizzie Humma) & not those of the Peace Corp. or the United States Government.
(A little about me if you didn't already know) Graduated this past May from Queens University of Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina inInternational Studies in Developing Countries with a Double Concentration in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese For the past 4 years i've also been a nanny, a Spanish night class teacher, sales girl, international volunteer teaching English, and an Intern at a local non profit NGO for cross cultural learning-so naturally im interested in going to Africa to live in a mudhut and hang with the jungle rats. So why am I doing this-seriously? Insatiable appetite for adventure and challenge-call it wanderlust or just a reaction to extreme suburban boredom. That and an ever growing sense of duty and compassion for the developing world-an admittedly inconvenient passion-but mine nonetheless. Travel and cultural immersion has always been a huge part of my life-its taken me from South Korea to South Georgia-with intermittent residences,mission trips, and vacations to Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Mexico, England, Germany, Spain, Italy, Chile, Japan, and China-and now Benin with the hopes of exploring more of my newest fascination-the African continent.
Ultimately I'm hoping this experience will relieve me of some of my impatience to get involved with some of the issues that have been so heavy in my heart for so long-and give me some added experience to pursue a career in International Humanitarian Aid. Its been exhausting preparing for my leave-and despite varying waves of anxiety about whats to come and sadness about parting from all of you who I love and will miss terribly-I know without a doubt that this is the very best thing for me at this time in my life. I will be keeping in close touch with all of you through this site-and email and air mail hopefully as well!
Disclaimer: The views & words on this blog reflect only the thoughts & opinions of Sunny Alley (via Lizzie Humma) & not those of the Peace Corp. or the United States Government.
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