The Village People

I am convinced that the village people have “it all figured out.”  I went into the village this weekend with my “skills” and file folders filled with contracts and payment options.  I travel 6 hours by tro-tro, to “help” these people.  I was going to give them a skill that can provide income for them – to feed their families, pay school fees, things they “need.” 

On the drive in, we pass them walking to the coco fields.  Some carrying baby coco plants on their head, to plant a new coco farm.  Others with tools, ready to harvest their coco.  The women in the village are sitting outside their mud huts, talking, cleaning, and beginning to prepare dinner for that night.  Getting out of the car, children flock to greet us.  I am proposed to by an old man who already has two wives, and 12 kids by each of them.  We walk by the coco beans drying, and pick one up to taste.  We discover that one bag of coco beans is sold for 150 Cedis, but Cote d’Ivoire pays 240 – so some of the farmers are taking them across the boarder to sell their harvest.  We see the school that Christine has been working at and on for the past 5 years.  It has grown from one “room” (or hut), to several concrete rooms, one that will become a library.  We step behind the school, so that we can see the rainforest, the real rainforest.

I set up my paper making supplies.  I was going to try to “train” Christine and Kirk’s three girls, Ophelia, Cynthia, and Grace, see how it went.  I faced the same response I have for each group that I have been in contact with – when I say I want to train people and give them “jobs” – I want to decrease poverty and HELP people.  I have heard every time: “I can bring you the people, but I can’t guarantee they will do the work.”

So, I train the girls, and several of the women in the village come by to see what is happening.  They see – they turn to leave – I ask if they want to learn – they say they want to go and prepare dinner.  These people, the same ones that we see on National Geographic, or commercials to raise money for one project or another – if you picture “people in need” – these are your people.  And they didn’t want to earn a extra few Cedis – they were uninterested in “progressing” or earning a “raise” to build a pool out back, or send the kids to Summer camp.  I really believe these people were content, dirty and half dressed, waking in the morning to work, preparing food all afternoon, sleeping, and then doing it all again.

Don’t these people want to move out of their mud huts?  Wouldn’t it be “better” if they didn’t have to go and work so hard everyday – don’t they want a break? What about clothes - don’t they at least want to make enough money to cover their bodies?

I believe we all search for contentment in life.  And these “needy” village people are content.  They have nothing, but they don’t “need” anything. We have everything, and it’s still not “enough.”  What is that one thing that will make us “content?” What is that relationship that will surely make us “content” with the life we have?  I want what the contentment they have, and they were not interested in my offer to “better” themselves.  I am telling you, these “village people” have something figured out.

So, my friend Christy and I had traveled 6 hours in a tro-tro, she actually fell asleep on a Ghanaian we were traveling for so long - to this village - and it was awesome.  I mean I had to do all the things that one would think necessary in a village in Africa, including bucket showers and holes in the ground for bathrooms!  But it was awesome - I learned a ton.   And the family we stayed with is awesome - here is their blog: http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Kirk-and-Christine/

And more pictures, mostly of the kids who we were able to hangout with!

(This one left for a while, and we found out when he came back that he gone to kill the chicken for his family's dinner that night.  Can you see the spattered blood on his face?!)

(Sorry for the inappropriate picture - but can you read what his "shorts" say?!)

And then, we had to come back into Accra – which now seems like some strange purgatory between Africa and America.  In Accra, I am surrounded by other internationals and am somehow lead to believe that I should expect things to work  - the internet or the fridge or the AC.  In the village there was no electricity or fridge to be broken – life is simple, and there is time to think and just BE.  I am already praying for a return trip sometime – it was really great.