The Vegetable Grows…

From Chapter 5: “The School Gardens Program“

As I drove along the route, I stopped in every school to invite the school director to participate in the school gardens program (if they were not already trained) and explained what the Ivorian government wanted to accomplish and why. I also explained my role to visit them periodically, to show them how to plant and maintain a garden, and to provide them with seeds from the agricultural station. Then I advised them when to expect me for the next visit. They needed to figure out where to put their garden and which instructor would be responsible for it, the teacher I would see on subsequent visits. Before leaving, we demonstrated how to prepare a planche. In subsequent visits, I encouraged them to start a school garden, praised them for the progress they made from visit to visit, sometimes demonstrated a gardening technique or two, and advised them on improvements they could make.

From Chapter 7: “Travel in West Africa”

Kano was the famous city of mud that served as the historic center of the trans-Saharan trade. As I traveled further and further north, I noticed the striking Islamic influence along the way: white gowns and hats, domed roofs, spired corners on the roofs, and walls around the cities. It surprised me to see donkeys serving as an important means of transportation alongside of the twentieth century bicycles, motorcycles, and cars. It occurred to me that, besides the human, the donkey has proven to be about the most reliable means of transportation for at least 2,000 years. 

From Chapter 8: “Adventures in East Africa”

Then we came upon two lions eating near a water hole. The muddy ground prevented us from getting very close. We were just thrilled to see the lions. For all we knew, they could have been the same two lions that the Martins saw the previous day. Next, after we drove further, we spotted four adult and three baby elephants. Really excited, we rushed over to see them. As we drove to the left of the elephants, the babies instinctively moved to the right side of their parents. When we changed to the right side, the baby elephants moved to the left side. The parents always remained between the young elephants and potential danger. When apparently, we moved just a little too close, one enormous elephant turned, raised his trunk, and faced us as if to warn us not to proceed any closer. I quickly stopped and snapped his picture. Quite thrilling! Reluctantly, we left the elephants to see more animals.

From Chapter 11: “Deahouepleu”

To introduce myself, I spoke a few words of greeting in Yacouba, the local dialect.  It greatly marveled them that I spoke to them in their dialect.  Next I asked for their names and wrote them down. Then questions started. Family Chief Bleu Kean David began by commenting that since the villagers already have their sauces, “Why should they improve their diets?” Sadly, I did not record my response to that question, but it would be relatively easy to surmise my answer. The second question was a bombshell. If a villager refused to work in the garden, what would I do? This question made me a little leery. Bertin offered to help me answer that. He renounced the use of force and asserted that we were there to persuade only. I repeated that I renounced the use of force. If I could not persuade them, we would not force them. Evidently, this answer delighted them. Tokpa Bei Victor, Family Chief and President of the Youth, advised his fraternal brothers that I must never use force, and the issue must concern only the villagers.    Subsequently, Family Chief Oukoua Gbéada expressed his contentment with the work and project. Next, Family Chief Kouanouo Lain Tiéffin expressed his approval and recalled a prediction by President Houphouet-Boigny that the Africans would live side by side with the whites. Following some advice from Paul and Lambert, we finished talking. This gathering, drinking bangui, and discussion proved to be a big boost for our garden project. That made me very happy about the project’s prospects.