<< Previous Entry | Next Entry >> | Latest Entry >>

Early rise on departure day for the village. We were surprised to see the “bus” we hired when it arrived. It was a run-down van we were told could only hold three people at a time once the luggage was inside. So, the driver’s plan was to make three round trips to the dock.

After a typical Warri dock scene, complete with delays, chaotic last-minute arrangements and lots of opportunities to meet people and take photographs, we piled ourselves and our considerable luggage into two boats. Several NAGS students accompanied us on the one-and-a-half hour ride through the creeks to Oporoza. As our speedboats skimmed over buried oil pipelines, we passed villages suffering from the environmental problems brought on by oil spills and dredging.

Arriving in Oporoza, we were met by a large group of the village’s beautiful children. Those of us who were here in November had joyous reunions with kids we thought we might never see again. We headed to the Chairman’s home where we are staying and were received by local villagers. One of the leaders, Dr. Tolar, made a public presentation welcoming us to Oporoza and thanking us for our ongoing commitment to the people of the area.

Soon after, the film crew headed off to the village of Kokodiagbene to film Joel Bisina, who is doing a sustainable livelihood assessment (SLA) project. This first phase of Chevron’s Regional Development Council initiative involves local NGOs spending three days in each major community to determine what types of development would lead to greater self-sufficiency. This represents a significant change in thinking; in the past, corporations, international NGOs and governments would build a building without local consultation, without taking into consideration how it fit into the broader needs of the community. Joel and other professionals from Joel’s NGO, Niger Delta Professionals for Development (NIDPRODEV), held a series of sessions with various segments of the community – women, elders, youth, community executives – to explain the new approach and gather input. This is another difference: previous efforts at communication with communities have been in full community meetings where the voices of the elders often drown out those of the youth and women.

Meanwhile, some of the crew toured the village with community representatives to see the conditions of life in the area. It was the first real experience of African heat. In truth, it was devastating to see how the people of this area are living. Just to give one example of the consequences of big oil’s omnipresence, gas flares have caused such a serious amount of acid rain that the fishing nets which take up to a year to make by hand simply disintegrate within six months.

Tammi, Leslye and Kendra stayed back to tend to logistics and then went for a walk through the village. We were enthusiastically greeted by children and found ourselves surrounded with their curious and affectionate attention. We walked to the library (GCJ’s November project) and were pleased to see it again, and more importantly to see evidence of its use. The sign-in book showed signatures of many people who have used it, including visitors from other villages. The kids then led us through the market, followed by an impromptu song and dance performance.

After dinner, a group meeting and a film production meeting, we headed to the local bar where the NAGS group hosted a welcome party. We shared a few toasts of gratitude and celebration for the mutual efforts toward creating change and a better future for people of the region. The evening was full of the local “Star” beer, Nigerian music, dancing and fun.