fete des femmes rurale

On Friday I had my ‘fete des femmes rurale’ event which ended up being part of a big department (county) wide thing. It was all fine. My photos of all the GIC women ended up pinned to trees and they were all delighted with them and the small financial and sometimes practical help I have been able to give. What shocked me was the treatment of children on the periphery of the event. It is quite normal for them to have men in white military style uniforms with blue berets cracking whips to prevent the children from creeping up too close to the visiting dignitaries. Then, while we were having a buffet reception at the sous prefet’s compound they climbed up on the wall looking in. At the tail end of the event when they start to run out of cutlery, they scaled the wall and began to prowl round the dawdling guests to scavenge for any remaining food. The nano second when you look like you are about to finish they pounce on your plate with the focus and savagery of a pack of hyenas. Their hunger strips them of any reticence and refinement and is unbearably shocking. Recently it seems that I am continually reminded of how hungry people are here.

I had a minor break-through this week with Amadou, the secretaire general, who called me ‘formidable’ which in French means something like magnificent, but he then ruined the moment.