Matt
stayed with a family in the town of Allada during
his training period (October 2001 through January
2002). Known around the Peace Corps as "the
best host family in Allada," they kept Matt
fed and helped him with his French studies.
|
A
Badger in Benin
By Matt Kopac '01
At
first I feel compassionate — after all, one of
the major reasons I joined the Peace Corps was to
give of myself. But there are days when I walk down
the street and hear, "Yovo, donnez-moi cent
francs" — Yovo, give me a hundred francs
— more times than I can count. I become annoyed
and frustrated. I feel overwhelmed by their expectations
and by the prospect of accommodating even a small
portion of their demands — I've even been asked
to pay for the schooling of two children.
But
when I reflect, my anger often turns to guilt. I remind
myself that the money in my pockets and the value
of the clothes on my back are more than many people
I encounter can hope for in a lifetime. The Beninois
live in a society where there is the opportunity for
education, but a scarcity of opportunity for gainful
employment. Since their culture is much more community
oriented than the U.S., it's only natural to look
to friends and family (and, I guess, foreigners) for
the leg up that the state doesn't provide.
So
guilt leads to perspective, and perspective leads
once again to sympathy. I do my best to remain in
a state of constant compassion, but it's exhausting
and more than I can handle at times. I'm beginning
to understand the Peace Corps's emphasis on skills
transfer instead of simple giving. But I don't want
to give the wrong idea — most of my time in Benin
has been marked not by friction but by connection.
I stayed with a Beninois family during my training,
and they were very enthusiastic about hosting me.
They included me in their Christmas celebrations,
inviting me to stay up into the wee hours of the morning,
feasting and fêting and dancing to both African and
American pop hits. And on New Year's Eve, we all stayed
up until midnight, though none of us knew exactly
when that was. There was no ball dropping in Times
Square, no Dick Clark counting down the seconds, and
the family's three clocks each read a different time.
The slowest showed 12:03 when we decided that 2002
had arrived, and we all started cheering and ran outside
to light sparklers.
I've also bonded with my fellow Peace Corps volunteers.
Last December, those of us stationed in northern Benin
planned an exodus to the beaches of Grand Popo, the
Beninois version of a tourist trap. The cultural highlight
of the trip took place one morning after we'd all
slept on the beach. As I relaxed on the shoreline
and dug my toes into the still-cool sand, I spotted
a boat of fishermen on the horizon, navigating their
way back to land. The night before, they'd cast their
nets into the ocean miles out from shore. Now they
were returning to haul in their catch. Soon, the water
was dotted with ancient, elegantly carved sea vessels
and their crews, and communities of villagers began
to line up on the beach to welcome them.
Once
on shore, the men of each boat lined up along the
ropes that they would use to drag their nets up onto
the beach. While one member sounded off African rhythms
on a bell, the others heaved in a rhythmic fashion
while singing call-and-response tunes.
After
casually observing for some time, a few of us decided
to lend our scrawny frames to the cause. I bloodied
my hands after only ten minutes, until a local woman
brought me a towel to protect my palms. She accompanied
it with an amused but friendly expression. I'm not
sure if we bridged a gap between two worlds or merely
reinforced the fact that such a gap exists. I remember
thinking how odd it was that what was for me a cultural
and ephemeral experience was for these people their
livelihood. Nonetheless, they graciously humored us,
and I believe actually enjoyed our presence.
It's
difficult to overcome preconceived notions —
mine about the Beninois and theirs about me. But with
time and deeper relationships, I hope to do just that.
To
find out the latest news about Matt, visit www.kopac.org.
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