Here's a look at how the very talented Beninese transport things:
 |
| This baby is strapped on using a 1 yd x 2 yd cloth that has been tucked in just the right way. |
 |
| That's a 50 lbs water jug strapped on the back of my bike. This is one of the most common ways to transport water, but many villagers transport more than one jug at a time, especially when using a motorcycle. |
 |
| My shopkeeper friend carried that heavy bag of yams back from the market on her head. She kept insisting she could have easily transported more yams yet if she had bought more. |
Women have to be awfully strong in Benin to do the work that is expected of them. Fifty pounds sloshing around on the back of the bike can't be easy either.
ReplyDeleteI wonder about the baby. Will that child get carried around like that until he can walk? Does he have time enough off his mother's back to explore the world the way American children do at an early age?
Jean Ralley
The Beninese in general are quite muscular due to the demands of their daily chores. They often try to save me the trouble of any hardship, but I tell them that many Americans actually pay money to go to the gym to build the muscles that the Beninese develop naturally.
ReplyDeletePart of the challenge of transporting 50 pounds of water on the back of my bike is that the center of gravity is so high, making it harder to balance. The hardest part of all is strapping the water on the back without letting the bike tip over. I heard of one volunteer who transports two of those jugs at a time on her bike, and I can't imagine how she keeps the bike from falling over.
Children here are strapped on their mothers' backs even after they can walk. Just as an American might use a stroller for a two year old who tires easily, a Beninese woman will strap the two year old to her back. I even periodically saw my four-year-old host brother strapped to his mother's back.
The baby pictured is now eight months old. He is fidgety when held and wants to play rather than sit still. He doesn't get much time to roam and his mother gets sick of him squirming in her lap, so I suggested that she create some sort of playpen for him. She doesn't seem to mind much what he puts in his mouth. I usually don't say anything and defer to her parenting decisions, but I did suggest one day that perhaps he shouldn't be putting that large knife blade in his mouth.
I gasped when I read the last sentence. Did she not understand just how dangerous that knife could be or is this an intelligence problem? It would seem that not having much exploration time would be detrimental to early development. The idea of a restricted area for play might be a new idea. It definitely is easier for the mother when the chidl is restricted, but would cause a a delay in learning. Is language development a problem? The child is programmed for language, but happens best when the child hears a running narrative of what is happening around him or to him and asked questions with the expectation of a response.
ReplyDeleteJean Ralley
I see a number of shocking, dangerous behaviors that parents allow. This same baby is allowed to put anything in his mouth, with no regard for the choking hazard. I also remember my four-year-old host brother in Dangbo carrying flames (at his grandma's request) and playing with knives. Later, he cut himself with a knife.
ReplyDeleteThe baby pictured is exposed to plenty of language. There are always at least three family members around him, plus a constant flow of customers coming to the shop. As for the playpen, I really meant a play area. I suggested it with the intention of offering the child a safe space to explore and discover rather than being constantly pinned down in someone's arms or to someone's back. He needs a chance to test out his limbs and take full advantage of his senses to develop his understanding of the world around him. Unfortunately, that is impossible with the current set-up because the ground is littered with metal bottle caps and other hazards, and there are no boundaries to keep him from wandering into the street.