Eso es lo que oigo un sinfín de veces. todos los (putos) días. Dame 100 francs. Llega a cansar, y mucho. Ya me he inmunizado de cierta manera, pero es inevitable que te genere una especie de hastío, del que es difícil desprenderse. Y no sólo piden 100 francs, me piden el pelo, la bici, la mochila,... lo que sea. Mi respuesta suele ser que le pidan a esa gente que conduce 4x4's que cuestan más de 40000€, en vez de pedirle a ese que va y viene todos los días en bicicleta. Su respuesta suele ser: é verdade.... no te jode...
Yo he
optado por no dar nunca nada, excepto a aquella gente que realmente
necesita esta caridad para poder seguir adelante, véase, ciegos,
mutilados, seriamente discapacitados, etc. Esta gente vive de la
caridad del resto, ya que el estado brilla por su ausencia en lo que
a ayudas sociales se refiere. Los que habéis venido a áfrica alguna
vez, habréis visto hordas de niños pidiendo con una lata o un bote.
En general, son niños a los que les enseñan (o ordenan) a pedir en
las madras (escuelas coranicas). Yo recomiendo que nunca se les dé.
Esta vez
escribo un poco decaido (se nota el tono?), no se si por casualidad,
o por lo que me rodea, pero no puedo evitar este pesimismo con el que
miro el mundo en este momento... y lo digo tomandome un zumo natural
exquisito! de un fruto tropical llamado foli. Alguna ventaja tiene
que tener estar aqui...
Estas
últimas semanas el precio del anacardo (principal cultivo del pais)
se ha estancado en 100-150XFO/kg, 0.15-0.25€, una puta miseria.
Normalmente cambian cada kg por 1 kg de arroz, pero este año lo
tienen jodido. Lo que va a suponer que lo que les duraba hasta
enero-febrero, ahora les llegará a septiembre. Hambruna asegurada. Y
a 100km se vende a 3 o 4 veces más! pero el gobierno no les permite
venderlo en Senegal. Vamos, que aparte de querer un pueblo analfabeto
(llevan muchos años pagando a los profesores de la escuela publica 1
mes si y 5 no...), los quieren tambien con hambre. Así seguro que ni
se les ocurre protestar, ni por cultura, ni por fuerza corporal...
Pero una
vez más, la falta de diversificacion en los cultivos, es algo que a
medio plazo tienen que replantearse, de no ser así, tendrán serias
dificultades para subsistir de forma digna en un futuro proximo. Lo
triste, es que muy poca gente reflexiona sobre este problema, y menos
gente aún, hace algo para cambiar sus cultivos.
Con lo que
me toca, comentaros que unos responsables de ICDP (international
children development program) contactaron conmigo ya que estaban
interesados en la bomba (Marty está haciendo una labor de marketing
impresionante!). Se vinieron de visita a Bafatá. Me puse camisa. Sí,
creeroslo. Y se fueron muy contentos, (no porque me pusiera
camisa...) pidiendome que les hiciera un presupuesto para 25 bombas.
Se lo mandé y lo están estudiando. Nos han convocado a una reunion
el 25 de este mes. A ver lo que cuentan. Aunque me gustó como decian
que trabajaban, veremos si es verdad la forma en que decian que
trabajaban....
El martes
pasado, hice la presentacion de la bomba a las ONG's, empresas, o
autonomos relacionados con el sector hídrico. La verdad, pocas ONG's
se dinaron a venir, aunque a la gente que vino le gustó mucho la
iniciativa, y quedó sorprendida con las ventajas de este maravilloso
artilugio.
Ya tenemos
los burros!!! y las carretas y los arados!!! ahi va la foto. La
semana que viene cada aldea recibirá la formacion sobre el arado, y
espero que todo vaya bien. Aqui os pongo lo que la gente me ha
ingresado y lo que hemos gastado en el proyecto. Por cierto, para las
personas que tenian la ilusion de ver su nombre impreso en el culo de
un burro: lo siento, no lo hicimos. otra vez será!! Iré informando
sobre los progresos del proyecto!
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_U5YQGhh2mdNlFrcUNzRkYtZE0/edit?usp=sharing
y los términos de compromiso de las aldeas:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_U5YQGhh2mdZVdWS1dsRHBwZzg/edit?usp=sharing
y los términos de compromiso de las aldeas:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_U5YQGhh2mdZVdWS1dsRHBwZzg/edit?usp=sharing
Por
cierto, alguno me ha comentado que si ya estoy negro (me refiero al
bronceado de la piel...) y la respuesta es no. ya lo veis en la foto.
intento evitar el sol todo lo posible, y siempre llevo este gorro
tipo Dr. Livingston.... ridiculo pero eficaz. Muy mio.
Bueno,
escribiré algo más otro día que me encuentre con la moral un poco
más alta. Un abrazo a tod @s!!!
aiooo
that's what I hear countless times every (fucking) day. Give me 100
francs. Becomes tedious, a lot. I already am immunized in a way, but
it is inevitable that you generate a kind of boredom, which is hard
to break. And they just don't ask 100 francs, they ask me my hair,
the bike, the backpack, ... whatever. My answer usually is that they
should beg to that people who drive 4x4's that cost more than
40,000€, instead of asking me that they see me every day cycling.
Their response is usually: é verdade (that's true) ....
bollocks ...
I have chosen to never give anything except to those people who really need this charity to keep going, like blinds, severely disabled, etc.. These people live on the charity of others, since the state is absent conncerning social aid. Those whom ever have come to Africa have seen hordes of children asking with a can or a jar. In general, children who are taught (or ordered) to beg in the madras (Koranic schools). I recommend you never give them.
Nowadays I am in a pessimistic mood. Maybe it's just that kind of days that you feel shit about the world, but I can not avoid this pessimism with which I look at the world right now ... and I say holding my exquisite natural juice! of a tropical fruit called foli. Some advantage has to have to be here ...
these last few weeks the price of cashew (main crop of the country) has been stuck in 100-150XFO/kg, 0.15-0.25 €, a fucking misery. Usually they exchange every kg per 1 kg of rice, but this year they are struggling. The rice that normally will last until January to February, this year will probably last just until September. Famine assured. And 100km far away they buy the cashew for 3 or 4 times more! but the government does not allow to sell it in Senegal. So the conclusion is that apart from wanting an illiterate citizens (the government has spent many years paying 1 out of 5 salaries of public school teachers...), they want them hungry too. Thus they ensure protest does not occurr, neither due to social rights conviction and belief, nor due to physical strength ...
But again, the lack of diversification in crops, is something that eventually they do need to rethink, if not, they'll have serious difficulties to survive with dignity in the near future. The sad thing is that very few people reflect on this issue, and still fewer people, do something to change their crops.
Concerning my work over here, some people from ICDP (international children development program) contacted me because they were interested in the pump (Marty is doing a impressive marketing!). They came to Bafatà. Believe it or not, I wore a shirt. Yes, i swear. And they were very happy (not because I wore a shirt ...). They requested a quote for 25 bombs. So I sent it and they are considering it. Actually they told me that they were really please after reciving such a detailed budget. They've organised a meeting on the 25th of this month. Let's see what they say. Although I liked the way they said they work, we'll see if it's true the way they said they work....
Last Tuesday, I made the presentation of the pump to the NGOs, companies, or freelancers related to the water sector. Actually, few NGO's deigned to come, but the people who came really liked the initiative, and was surprised with the benefits of this wonderful gadget ;-)
We've got the donkeys! and the carts and the plows! you can see it in the pic. Next week each village will receive training on plowing, and I hope everything goes well. Below is shown the document with the spending and contributions. By the way, for people who had the illusion of seeing his name printed on the ass of a donkey: sorry, we did not. maybe next time! I'll report on the progress of the project!
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_U5YQGhh2mdNlFrcUNzRkYtZE0/edit?usp=sharing
and the terms and conditions for the villages:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_U5YQGhh2mdZVdWS1dsRHBwZzg/edit?usp=sharing
Some people asked me if I was so tanned already, but, as you can see in the picture, I am not. I try to avoid the sun as much as I can (which is not easy) and that ridiculous Dr. Livingston-style hat helps too.
I have chosen to never give anything except to those people who really need this charity to keep going, like blinds, severely disabled, etc.. These people live on the charity of others, since the state is absent conncerning social aid. Those whom ever have come to Africa have seen hordes of children asking with a can or a jar. In general, children who are taught (or ordered) to beg in the madras (Koranic schools). I recommend you never give them.
Nowadays I am in a pessimistic mood. Maybe it's just that kind of days that you feel shit about the world, but I can not avoid this pessimism with which I look at the world right now ... and I say holding my exquisite natural juice! of a tropical fruit called foli. Some advantage has to have to be here ...
these last few weeks the price of cashew (main crop of the country) has been stuck in 100-150XFO/kg, 0.15-0.25 €, a fucking misery. Usually they exchange every kg per 1 kg of rice, but this year they are struggling. The rice that normally will last until January to February, this year will probably last just until September. Famine assured. And 100km far away they buy the cashew for 3 or 4 times more! but the government does not allow to sell it in Senegal. So the conclusion is that apart from wanting an illiterate citizens (the government has spent many years paying 1 out of 5 salaries of public school teachers...), they want them hungry too. Thus they ensure protest does not occurr, neither due to social rights conviction and belief, nor due to physical strength ...
But again, the lack of diversification in crops, is something that eventually they do need to rethink, if not, they'll have serious difficulties to survive with dignity in the near future. The sad thing is that very few people reflect on this issue, and still fewer people, do something to change their crops.
Concerning my work over here, some people from ICDP (international children development program) contacted me because they were interested in the pump (Marty is doing a impressive marketing!). They came to Bafatà. Believe it or not, I wore a shirt. Yes, i swear. And they were very happy (not because I wore a shirt ...). They requested a quote for 25 bombs. So I sent it and they are considering it. Actually they told me that they were really please after reciving such a detailed budget. They've organised a meeting on the 25th of this month. Let's see what they say. Although I liked the way they said they work, we'll see if it's true the way they said they work....
Last Tuesday, I made the presentation of the pump to the NGOs, companies, or freelancers related to the water sector. Actually, few NGO's deigned to come, but the people who came really liked the initiative, and was surprised with the benefits of this wonderful gadget ;-)
We've got the donkeys! and the carts and the plows! you can see it in the pic. Next week each village will receive training on plowing, and I hope everything goes well. Below is shown the document with the spending and contributions. By the way, for people who had the illusion of seeing his name printed on the ass of a donkey: sorry, we did not. maybe next time! I'll report on the progress of the project!
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_U5YQGhh2mdNlFrcUNzRkYtZE0/edit?usp=sharing
and the terms and conditions for the villages:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_U5YQGhh2mdZVdWS1dsRHBwZzg/edit?usp=sharing
Some people asked me if I was so tanned already, but, as you can see in the picture, I am not. I try to avoid the sun as much as I can (which is not easy) and that ridiculous Dr. Livingston-style hat helps too.
Well, I'll write a little bit more whenever I'll feel in a better mood. Hugs to everyone!
