Hello guys !
I have been moving around a lot this last two weeks and was too busy to write anything. I just came back to South Africa, had lots of work and I am still feeling lazy for writing. That’s why I had the idea of sharing some pictures of mine adding few comments about it.
Because I am so happy to be back on the African continent I choose to share with you some special black and white pictures of Benin, West Africa.
Ganvié is called the ” African Venise” because all the constructions are on stilts. This village is settled on the Lake Nokoué. People move with dugout canoes.
This day was Sunday and everybody was going to church.
The girls transporting some water on the head. They go in group to help each other full the basin and put it on the head. That is in the small village Zinvié where I stayed two months. It was my neighbourhood who brought me water because I never manage to carry it on my head…
For a special event this group of men where doing a representation of dance and music, we can see the serious before and then the group during the representation.
That’s a wall in Ouidah, the town where most of the slaves were leaving from before heading Americas. The text in french say: “It is necessary today more than yesterday to get the History back on ground . Our complicity in the trade are well established, our collectives misguided ways ; the management and government mistakes , even maybe the predatory behaviours of some head in charge are obvious. The fact still remain, massive, inevitable. We don’t understand anything to the under development and extreme destitution of Sub- Saharan Africa if we don’t mention the plague of history which it have been victim during more than four centuries.”
In a “restaurant” in Ouidah this women prepare our meal, “Igname pilé” wich I can translate by ” ground yam”.
Few people in Gran Popo live from fishing and they are busy preparing the nets. Even when the ocean is a bit rough they take those wood boats to fish.
I wonder what this young lady is thinking about …
This is an excellent tour through Benin with some great pics as well. I loved the joyful picture of the people making Igname pilé.
Interesting too about the plague of history and the mural in your photo. While facilitating a Zoom In Reach Out photo walk event in Charleston, South Carolina, I connected with a group called the Carolina and Barbados Legacy Foundation whose mission is to educate about the history of the slave trade, as well as the connection between these two places. Of course Benin and Africa are the first link in this dark history.
Yes Benin was one of the first country involved. In this little town Ouidah there is a walk up to the beach which is exactly the same than the slaves had to walk unchained in the pas before going in the big ships to Americas. It is very touching and emotional especially when your guide is a local speaking about his ancestors. Anyway... if you go in Benin, go there.
A problem of translation for plague of history? I struggled a bit to translate it!
thanks for the additional info Isa
I thought plague of history was an befitting term
comment dit-on en français?
En français " fléau de l'Histoire". Otherwise curse of History is probably a good term
ah good to know, curse or plague would work
or even scourge of history might be more literal
Really good photo documentary, upvoted and followed! Hope to see more stuff like this in the future :)
These are really fantastic!
Going to be following you as well.
Thanks @shieha and @jamtaylor it is motivating ! ;)
I love the one with the women working and the boats on the beach. Following you now. Cheers.