Kara and Beyond

After the brief orientation in Lomé, we headed north on Wednesday. After a long journey (futher lengthened by setbacks including a flat tire, a defunct water pump, and the 10 hours required to get the defunct water pump fixed - on a bien appris qu'il faut la patience en Afrique), we made it to Kara. Since then, we have seen bits of Kara and of surrounding villages, including Farendé and Kuwdé.

Kara is a relatively well-developed city. There's electricity, running water, and an internet café. It's cleaner than Lomé and, overall, seems much more well kept-up. This city received resources because it and the surrounding areas are the homelands of the former ruler Eyadema's ethnic group, the Kabiye. This is the same ethnic group with whom three other students and I will be living.

Farendé. Farendé, a valley-city surrounded by mountains, is a one-hour drive from the big city of Kara. No electricity, running water, or paved roads in Farendé. One other student and I will be living in this village. My homestead consists of 2 cowives (the husband passed away a few years ago, unfortunately), several children, and possibly others; just today I met the two cowives, and they both are very nice. On top of that, they speak good French, which makes them easy to understand. Also on the homestead are plenty of animals, including pigeons, chickens, ducks, pigs, sheep, and goats. My room is lovely; yellow walls, a large bed, a desk, floor space, and a window with some beautiful red flowers just outside. I'm really happy about living here!

If you hike up the mountain just next to Farendé, you will find yourself in Kuwdé, where one student will be staying. Kuwdé is really, really small and is the least developed. Farming is done in terraces which are supported by rocks (Kabiye, the name of the ethnic group, means "pilers of rocks," in fact). The scenery is absolutely beautiful, and it's strange to see palm trees growing in the mountains. We all spent the night in Kuwdé last night after a dinner of rice, beans, pasta, and sorghum beer. Non-fermented sorghum beer tastes exactly like juice. We woke up at 6 AM to the otherworldly funeral song of a tree spirit, whose body, the tree, recently fell. Oatmeal for breakfast, some peanut-deshelling, and a brief bucket bath before the hike back down the mountain to Farendé.

Tout va très bien! People here have done so much to make us feel welcome. A la prochaine.