Robberies and Bandits Galore!!!
It must be a full moon tonight, because never have I seen so much craziness!!! Right now I happen to be in Cotonou, the capital of Benin in every way but name (Porto Novo is the offical capital), where I am staying at our office to get some work done. As always, when I am in Cotonou I walk around a lot. It's not necessary, but I do. We have what we call 'Zemidjans', which is local language for 'Get me there fast', which are taxis on motorcycles. They are safe and reliable, but honestly I just like walking.
Anyway, today I was walking around one of our many large markets where which is also surrounded by a few banks, one of them being my bank. I was walking from my bank towards the street and the market when I started hearing a popping sound from what sounded like the next road over. I didn't think anything of it and just kept walking towards the market. As I got to the main road and the market, all of a sudden the popping got louder and a wave of people overtook me. I decided that it might be a good idea to run with them, so I went to the nearest large car and hid between it and a building. After a seconds the popping stopped, and a minute or so later an armored car rolled away. I asked a fellow hider what had just happened, and they told me that some bandits had just attacked that armored car. As exciting as this was, I decided to keep moving and to get away from the market.
About an hour later, at approximately 16:30 (4:30pm), I was walking near yet another, completely different market. This market, Dantokpa is the second largest in West Africa. While I was walking around near there, all of a sudden I saw a police car speed away with lights blazing, and behind it followed between 100 and 200 motorcycle taxis who were screeming and yelling. I knew that people here didn't like theives and that they had a habit of forming a mob to chase after and kill theives, but I had never seen this before with my own eyes. ...But that trail of motorcycle taxis, THAT WAS A MOB!!! It turns out, some people had also attacked a completely different bank near Dantokpa, and there they had also shot and killed 2 gaurds. The reports don't say anyone was captured, so who knows who was in the police car... but I think there was a mob that was after them, whoever they were.
People here are very conscious of justice. That is the main principle behind gri gri (the word for voodoo magic spells). You put a spell on someone because they did you wrong, or if something happens to someone, it is because they have been cursed. Supposedly everyone does gri gri, and just about everyone fullheartedly believes in it. The only reason someone would move far away from their home is because someone that was near them was cursing them, and the only way to break the curse is to move. The people who moved don't always tell you that, but the people around them will. If someone gets sick, the go to the local magician to make them better. They might have a chicken sacrificed for them, and homeopothy is largely practiced here with many natural remedies that still remain unknown to the Western world. Many times, alcohol is administred with roots and leaves, but also many other things might be done. People no longer sacrifice humans here, but sometimes a goat or cow might be sacrificed for a big occasion. Most sacrifices are chickens though.
This information probably sounds scary to you guys out there, and I don't want to make you scared of where I am. Honestly, the people here keep there distance from the white people. And they know that seriously messing with us can get the governments involved, so they really don't give us trouble. Honestly, there is no reason to be afraid for me or for anyone other volunteer in Benin. Think of it this way: If the anal-retentive US government is letting us live all over West Africa, then it's probably not that bad. And believe me, they are anal.
Well, that's my only exciting news that I can think of. Since my bike tour I got sick, bursted an ear drum, meaning I had to go all the way down to Cotonou (9 hour trip) to get it taken care of, but it's healing up nicely. Other than that, I did start a new farmers group of about 6 people who I am teaching to grow potatoes and other things. Potatoes sell for a lot and don't require much work, so they are really excited. People just didn't know how to plant them! I'm also working to get them general information on diseases and plant pests that can help them. Their biggest weakness is their lack of information, and since I can easily solve that gap things are going well.
Well, it's getting late and I'm getting tired. I hope you are all well. I would love to hear any questions or comments on anything from you guys out there, so don't be afraid to respond. If you don't want to post a public comment, you can email me at sarahinafrica@gmail.com. I will answer within a month, since I don't always have internet.
Goodnight everyone.
Sarah
Anyway, today I was walking around one of our many large markets where which is also surrounded by a few banks, one of them being my bank. I was walking from my bank towards the street and the market when I started hearing a popping sound from what sounded like the next road over. I didn't think anything of it and just kept walking towards the market. As I got to the main road and the market, all of a sudden the popping got louder and a wave of people overtook me. I decided that it might be a good idea to run with them, so I went to the nearest large car and hid between it and a building. After a seconds the popping stopped, and a minute or so later an armored car rolled away. I asked a fellow hider what had just happened, and they told me that some bandits had just attacked that armored car. As exciting as this was, I decided to keep moving and to get away from the market.
About an hour later, at approximately 16:30 (4:30pm), I was walking near yet another, completely different market. This market, Dantokpa is the second largest in West Africa. While I was walking around near there, all of a sudden I saw a police car speed away with lights blazing, and behind it followed between 100 and 200 motorcycle taxis who were screeming and yelling. I knew that people here didn't like theives and that they had a habit of forming a mob to chase after and kill theives, but I had never seen this before with my own eyes. ...But that trail of motorcycle taxis, THAT WAS A MOB!!! It turns out, some people had also attacked a completely different bank near Dantokpa, and there they had also shot and killed 2 gaurds. The reports don't say anyone was captured, so who knows who was in the police car... but I think there was a mob that was after them, whoever they were.
People here are very conscious of justice. That is the main principle behind gri gri (the word for voodoo magic spells). You put a spell on someone because they did you wrong, or if something happens to someone, it is because they have been cursed. Supposedly everyone does gri gri, and just about everyone fullheartedly believes in it. The only reason someone would move far away from their home is because someone that was near them was cursing them, and the only way to break the curse is to move. The people who moved don't always tell you that, but the people around them will. If someone gets sick, the go to the local magician to make them better. They might have a chicken sacrificed for them, and homeopothy is largely practiced here with many natural remedies that still remain unknown to the Western world. Many times, alcohol is administred with roots and leaves, but also many other things might be done. People no longer sacrifice humans here, but sometimes a goat or cow might be sacrificed for a big occasion. Most sacrifices are chickens though.
This information probably sounds scary to you guys out there, and I don't want to make you scared of where I am. Honestly, the people here keep there distance from the white people. And they know that seriously messing with us can get the governments involved, so they really don't give us trouble. Honestly, there is no reason to be afraid for me or for anyone other volunteer in Benin. Think of it this way: If the anal-retentive US government is letting us live all over West Africa, then it's probably not that bad. And believe me, they are anal.
Well, that's my only exciting news that I can think of. Since my bike tour I got sick, bursted an ear drum, meaning I had to go all the way down to Cotonou (9 hour trip) to get it taken care of, but it's healing up nicely. Other than that, I did start a new farmers group of about 6 people who I am teaching to grow potatoes and other things. Potatoes sell for a lot and don't require much work, so they are really excited. People just didn't know how to plant them! I'm also working to get them general information on diseases and plant pests that can help them. Their biggest weakness is their lack of information, and since I can easily solve that gap things are going well.
Well, it's getting late and I'm getting tired. I hope you are all well. I would love to hear any questions or comments on anything from you guys out there, so don't be afraid to respond. If you don't want to post a public comment, you can email me at sarahinafrica@gmail.com. I will answer within a month, since I don't always have internet.
Goodnight everyone.
Sarah
posted by sarah at 9:50 PM
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