Life in the village (written Jan 17)

Before I get into what I’ve been up to lately, let me explain a little bit about my post and the area where I have begun working—and I must admit that I’m still learning myself… it’s not so easy without a map in front of me. The Conservation, one of Faro National Park’s main offices, is located about an hour or two west of Poli, in a canton called Voko. A canton is a district, the collective name for a group of villages. Outside of the park, there are several villages I have begun working with—Gormaya, Mayo Djarendi, Paté Manga, Lenguerba and along with some other villages, they are collectively known as Voko. The park itself is divided into several areas, the farthest west being the “park” itself (where the Conservationist’s office is) and the rest, roughly ten, are managed hunting zones which are rented out to hunting guides.

Picture of only the coolest things found, including antelope and hippo skulls.

            I spent this past weekend in Voko, meeting with various GICs so I can learn about their work, farming activities, needs, interests, goals, and anything else they are willing to share so I can learn about their groups. It’s exciting to finally feel like I’m “getting out there” and talking to people and learning about the farming activities in the area. Since there isn’t regular transportation from Voko to Poli (and it’s an uncomfortable 1-2hr ride), it’s easiest for me to stay in Voko for various periods of time. 

While in Voko I tried this fruit, called kosala. It tasted kind of like green tea.

I had a room set up in the Conservation, which I will continue to use as I keep traveling into Voko and it ended up being a pretty great place for me to be. There are always MINFOF eco-guards working and hanging around the office, which provides me with a really great way to learn about the functions of the park and general stuff about the area. I was fortunate enough that my stay coincided with the Conservationist passing through Voko, providing me with a lot of quality time to talk to him on a range of topics. Unfortunately for him, his stay was prolonged by accumulating work, as several arrests were made in the park. The first was a Nigerian man who was caught poaching—a porcupine, coupe de buffoon, and a monkey. The second was a group of men from one of Voko’s villages, caught fishing illegally and mining for gold in one of the hunting zones. I was surprised to hear that these men were mining, but apparently the area is fairly rich in minerals, and although there is some chance in finding something; this chance is not very high and the small amount that may be found doesn’t have very much value, but as one of the men explained—a village chief—the pressure to pay for his children’s’ education has pushed him to take these chances. Hearing this man talked really just motivated me more to learn about the area and the people—their resources and potential. My hope is that I can help them find ways of generating an income that can help improve their lives, while maintaining a balance, and relieving pressure from the park.