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

Morning found some of us hanging out with the kids. Leslye broke out several bottles of bubbles, which kept them occupied for quite some time. Toddlers ran about, trying to catch the bubbles their older brothers and sisters were excitedly blowing. Afterwards, a few kids gave Leslye some Ijaw language lessons, followed by an impromptu song and dance exhibition, which Cliff captured on film.

We’re all in awe of the beauty, spunk and graciousness of these kids. They are always wanting to carry our bags, water bottles, anything they can help with. They swing huge suitcases onto their heads and transport them to and from the jetty with unimaginable grace. There’s a plant in the field near the library that leaves little thorns on our pants. The kids gather round to pick them off. They hold down tall grass with their bare feet so we don’t have to walk through it. They run countless errands and help their mothers fish. Young ones carry even younger ones on their backs. Sometimes they fight. In fact, we were several times shocked at the violent interactions among them and also by adults to kids—and wonder how a culture of peace can grow out of the violence that surrounds them in their formative years. Always they are lively. And they find a day’s worth of joy in the smallest things—like a bottle of bubbles.

Children in a village are able to be an important and integral part of the social fabric, in a way not possible for a child living in the developed world. Here, a five-year-old girl can carry her little sister on her back; a three-year-old boy can carry a water bottle; a ten-year old can carry a bucket of water for the bath. A child walking by an adult is instantly ready and willing to perform any errand needed. No payment is expected—it is all part of the social contract, which values each individual and allows each to feel like an important part of the family and community. In the developed world, where so much has been mechanized and streamlined, children have a much more difficult time finding meaningful ways to contribute to their families’ needs, and so they are more likely to feel adrift and alienated.

A large contingent arrived from Warri around noon to bring Chamsou D. Andjorin, the representative from Boeing, to see the library for the first time. Boeing was one of the main corporate supporters for Global Citizen Journey library project. This was the very first project in Nigeria that Boeing had ever provided financial support for.

Chamsou had been scheduled to visit in February, but had to postpone his trip when hostage-taking episodes occurred a few days before his arrival. This time, his visit afforded the opportunity for him to see not only the library but also to meet some of the GCJ delegates who were responsible for building the library.

Chamsou arrived in Oporoza with Dr. Tolar, the Gbaramatu chairman of the Regional Development Council, who gave him extensive background about the challenges experienced by this part of the Delta. We learned that the first European explorers in this region were Portuguese, and that there are many words in the local Ijaw dialect that have Portuguese roots. Dr. Tolar explained that the Ijaw tribe lives on the coastline from Lagos to Calabar, a distance of many hundreds of miles. Within the Ijaw tribe there are 40 different dialects, reflecting the influences of various other neighboring tribes and European countries. Thus, many Ijaws cannot even understand each other and must speak in pidgin English in order to communicate.

The community gave Chamsou a warm welcome, with dancing and singing women, a kola nut ceremony with the elders and youths, and much speech-making thanking Boeing for their generous donation. Upon seeing the library, Chamsou expressed that he was very impressed by the building and the fact that computers and books were already present and being used on a daily basis. Chamsou offered to consider Boeing funding for future projects in this region, especially those for women and children.

During a walk to the jetty for a phone call with Helen, Kendra noticed men unpacking boxes of fish. She inquired about it and learned that large fish are imported from Warri for eating and selling. Helen shared that this is yet another example of the environmental devastation. The water here no longer contains the quantity of fish it used to. When you consider the distance and expense of importing fish from Warri in a region that should literally be jumping with fish, the loss and grief are overwhelming. Thousands of years of a resource that has sustained the people of this region have been almost wiped out inside of one generation.