So we went to live with them... ...spent the last two nights in a Fulani (Peul) camp. The experience shook my way of thinking about Africa. The shaking came from the juxtaposition of two experiences, that of my experience of Africa up until two days ago with my experience with members of a different people.
On day 1 we waited all morning. First a seller of bootleg gasoline was trying to secure our adhesion to a group of departing Fulani, then we found out that there was apprehension on the part of the Fulani herders themselves who told our translators that the support of their Alhadji (Alhadji meaning a man who has been to Mecca) chief would convince them to go along with our plan to camp with them for a few nights. Having obtained the support of the Alhadji Fulani chief, and endured various delays, we headed out, passing through a couple sedentary farming Fulani households, a couple small rivers, and 4 miles of bush before arriving, nearly in unison with the cows back after a day of feeding, at camp . Our stay would last two half days, two nights, and one beautifully full day.
I will try to put up my thoughts about this experience because they were important for my understanding of my experience of Togo and Africa. To give a brief taste in the little time I have, I would say that living among the Fulani, granted for only 2 nights, put me in contact with self-confident Africa. I refer to "self-confident Africa" in opposition to the Africa that I have been living in for one year: An Africa besieged by the message that there is something wrong with it, in constant comparison with the West, and at its mercy as for the means "needed" to "fix" itself. In the Fulani I met an Africa sure of itself, creative, eager to learn, eager to exchange, not afraid to do weird things or be different. I don't mean to say that the rest of Africa does not exhibit those behaviors but simply that it seemed that with confidence in who they are, the Fulani could slowly changing, adapting, from the standpoint of a proud people that doesn't have foreign paid experts gathered, crowded around its every activity telling it how to do better... and in this way they may change on their terms and remain Fulani, not become Frenchmen at French school or Englishmen at English school. With their knowledge of who they are they may be more able to make decisions about who they will be. It seems to me that they have escaped mental colonization. They are the proud Africa of before... Questions came to my mind: Who decided that Africa had something wrong with it? Who decided that foreigners needed to come in or send things in and develop Africa? It seems to me that self-confident Africa would be better at developing Africa than a belittled tormented self-doubting Africa. In any case I have spoken in error but have at least began a thought, to be continued...
more photos of the fulani excursion.
(for Peace Corps admin: At all times I was in my work zone and was fulfilling at least two of the Peace Corps' three goals, as well as researching possible future natural resources related collaboration with the Fulani. At all times I had cell phone service).
