MEETING IN TIASSALE WITH THE COOPERATIVE
Today we had a meeting with a farmer cooperative that we are following.
We left at dawn under a very peculiar sky. From where we are staying it takes about 3 1/2 hours to reach the place where the cooperative operates. The road is not relatively long but you have to consider that a good hour is lost in traffic to cross the whole city of Abidjan.
The chaos of Abidjan, filled with people, old cars and heavy smog was quickly supplanted by the unique wonder we encountered as soon as we stepped outside the city.
A wonderful natural environment of tall trees and the sight of myriad villages accompanied us along the last part of this journey to the cooperative.
After Abidjan I went back to breathing good air with some hints of chase.
This great contrast seen in a few kilometers made me think a lot about Western models, generating doubts in my mind as to how much they actually solve for this part of the world.
Several villages accompanied our journey until we reached Tiassalè.
Upon arriving at the cooperative, we were met by representatives. Here they explained to us how the aggregation of cocoa bags that come to them from the various plantations works. We saw the triage process that they do by sampling on a mesh net to figure out whether the beans in a sack are the optimal size or not. Depending on the seasons, the beans can have different sizes. After seeing this process we were driven by motorcycle to a village where 4 planteurs reside.
Here we were given a very unique welcome that affected me deeply on an emotional level and made me realize the enormous generosity of this people. I learned about some typical rituals and customs of the Baoulé ethnic group with enormous human value. Some of them spoke only the ethnic language and we put in place a triangulation of translations to understand each other.
I got to know the four planteurs of the village and was happy to learn that they were two men and two women (Koffie Amelie, Kouassi Aujilliet, Watralas Nom, Yao Kouado Lasao). Only one of them spoke French and with a high five he immediately put me at ease by inviting me to visit the nearby plantation.
A true and absolute marvel!
We entered this plantation full of cocoa fruits of different varieties. What poetry!
Continuing our visit to the forest, they also show us how the fermentation process is carried out by harvesting fava beans in a hollow covered with banana leaves. Meanwhile, a planteur gives us a helmet of bananas.
We are also shown banana trees and told that each one produces only one helmet like the one we were given. We are reassured that they have many plants of this fruit.
Chatting, we are told that they have no electricity and have had no water for two years, the well they were foraging from is broken down, and they retrieve water by going three kilometers down the road or from falling rain.
They explain that for plants the water they need is little, they need a little more only in the first stage then definitely less. Fortunately, the ecosystem of banana trees allows rainwater absorption and root distribution.
We return to the place where we were welcomed and here we are given a chicken and papaya fruit wishing us God's protection.
There is a lack of water, a lack of power, but there is no lack of their extreme kindness, hospitality, humility, peace and dedication to us. In my not being able to communicate with my voice, and, to show my gratitude, I instinctively hug everyone. Imma explain to me later to be more careful in the future, not all ethnic groups view this outpouring of affection kindly.
On the way back to the cooperative warehouse we saw the school: it is six classes, 30 children per class and 6 teachers. All financed by village members except the notebook and single book for the children in the first two classes; the ministry takes care of that.
An intense but important day that opened my eyes to the simplicity and genuineness of human relationships, the beauty of nature, and what our relationship with this cooperative is to be.
James.
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