Friday, August 26, 2005
Welcome back to school, y’all. This expression is extended, of course, to my Caucasian classmates as well.
Or as the people of the Fon tribe in the French-speaking western-Africa country of Benin might say, “Yovo yovo, bonsoir! Ca va bien? Merci!”
The literal translation is, “White person, white person, good evening! Are you well? Thank you!” I learned this little ditty during my summer vacation when I traveled to Benin with friends. Two of them were blond-haired, blue-eyed females. These two, Heather and Natalie, were considered highly exotic in Benin. For three weeks, people would break out in song, singing, “Yovo yovo, bonsoir” whenever they saw us coming. It was hilarious.
Between my urban American style and my lighter-skinned counterparts, we attracted attention all over Benin. If the kids weren’t singing to my friends, they were trying to take my shoes or hat.
Even as I stood on the balcony of our house, a beautiful beach home that overlooked dozens of mud and tin shacks, people would look up and stare at me; the children would wave.
I have never before seen such poverty in any other country that I have visited. In Benin, there were many children with distended bellies who ran around naked.
As Americans, we take for granted the everyday items that most of us have access to, such as personal hygiene products.
I spoke to a young man named of Fleurant Akpata while I was in Cotonou, the government seat of Benin. After smelling an unfamiliar odor in the air for a few weeks, I asked him about it. He said it was the African sun, and the lack of deodorant. Fleurant explained many people did not wear deodorant because it was too expensive.
“Do you want to buy deodorant or feed your family? Which is more important to you?” Akpata asked.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some wealthy people who live in Cotonou, but most are not so fortunate. There is no middle class; you are either rich or poor.
This was a powerful experience that everyone should have the opportunity to be a part of. The University sponsors study abroad opportunities year-round to countries throughout the world. There are dozens of opportunities to study in European and Latin American countries, but unfortunately the program falls short when it comes to Africa.
After searching the KU Study Abroad Web site, I found that other than the Arabian countries in Africa, such as Morocco and the westernized South Africa, there are almost no University-sponsored trips to Africa currently active.
As an alternative, the study abroad office offers Student Initiated Programs. Said Stacey Satchell, outreach coordinator for the Office of Study Abroad, students participating in SIP’s are given some assistance from the University to help them find living accommodations and a sponsor in the country to which they are traveling.
Satchell said that they are in serious need of professors with links to countries in Africa, in order to make the program possible.
It’s a shame there were no real opportunities for students to see different cultures in Africa. All my life I have lived in Washington, D.C., a city with a large metropolitan area and a staggering amount of poverty, yet I have never seen anything quite like Benin.
Africa is one of the most beautiful places on earth, but it is a continent that is struggling. Although our country sometimes ignores Africa on a national level, as educated individuals, take the initiative to educate yourselves.
I encourage everyone to travel abroad, for leisure or academics, because it will give you a greater appreciation for the life that you are fortunate enough to have.
Ford is a Washington, D.C. junior in journalism.
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