Disturbing Realities?
As it was the long and the last weekend of April, we decided to take a little trip in the west side of the country and visit the area around Bobo-Dialousou. Bobo is a green town with lots of mango trees and as lonely planet puts it one of travellers favourite spots in Burkina. The city itself has some interesting places to visit and there is lots of pastry shops.. emmm.
Despite the good things, I called this blog ‘disturbing realities?’ as during this weekend, there were afew moments where I thought ‘wow’ I didn’t expect to see this today….
Starting with the old town: it’s sort of like a small village itself with buildings and huts that date back to centuries ago. Unlike most places in Burkina, this area is not flat and has quite abit of angle to it. At the lowest point, there is what you may call a small river or a stream. Th
is is where you see women and single men washing their clothes, and children taking baths. But you also see all sorts of other things such as garbage and dirt and…. So the scene is disturbing in a sense that with my ‘white person lens’ I had a hard time even stepping into that water yet from the perspective of a Burkinabé in the area, this is where things can get clean. I do have to mention that this image is not a sad one in context as women are chatting with each other while washing the clothes and kids are having a good time and laughing while doing all sorts of tricks in the water. The red flag is only in my head that is signalling the different realities, my reality verses theirs.
As I was lost in thoughts while walking by the river, I came across another image: one kid who had caught five or six lizards and had passed a stick through their heads. In Africa, lizards are everywhere. Some are about 30cm long (some unnecessary info about lizards J) As he was walking with few of his buddies, he was showing off by holding up the stick with the dead lizards hanging and telling people about how he had killed them. Well, how often do you see dead lizards as toys?
The same day was also coincided with the “dance of masks” in one of the animist villages. So the dance of masks happens once a year and it happens after the first rain of the year
to show appreciation. Each family is dressed in these crazy outfits with masks on their faces. There are drummers playing as the dancers enter the centre of a huge crowd and start their moves. This was quite interesting to watch. Unfortunately I couldn’t take good pictures. Here in Burkina some believe that if you take a picture you will steal their soul and so you always have to ask before taking a picture. The few times that I did ask, it was not permitted.
So the dance of masks brings me to the last image that I want to share and that is also related to indigenous believes and the animist religion. During our last day of stay, Guillaume surprised me by renting a motorbike and showed off his driving skills (by almost getting us into an accident J) on the way to what they call the Sacred fish spot. Here people come from all over the region to pay sacrifices. After abit of hiking and abit of descending in a beautiful mountainous area, you will arrive at a small lake where the sacred fishes live. Sacrifices are made by feeding chickens and even sheeps to these fishes. First, you kill the chickens, sheep and whatever else you want to feed the fishes. Then you take off the furs, skins… Then you take out the intestines and this is what you throw in the water while making a prayer. The rest you can cook right there and eat. This is a small lake surrounded by trees deep inside a mountainous area. By the water and on the rocks you see furs all over the place, there is also blood and flesh. Some people have warms in their hands to throw in the water to the fish. As a rule and to pay respect, you are not allowed to have shoes or sandals on in the area. So imagine all the good stuff that was stuck to my feet after walking around. As tempting as it was to take pictures and record what I was witnessing, again I was not allowed to use my camera…
Did I make it sound ugly and frightening enough? Well, it’s a matter of different realities. In their reality, this activity will help them do better, it will bring them wealth and health and so it might. From their eye it is not ugly, dirty and frightening. It is holly and it is sacred.
I am going to end with a question that Robert Chambers has asked: Whose reality counts?
Despite the good things, I called this blog ‘disturbing realities?’ as during this weekend, there were afew moments where I thought ‘wow’ I didn’t expect to see this today….
Starting with the old town: it’s sort of like a small village itself with buildings and huts that date back to centuries ago. Unlike most places in Burkina, this area is not flat and has quite abit of angle to it. At the lowest point, there is what you may call a small river or a stream. Th
is is where you see women and single men washing their clothes, and children taking baths. But you also see all sorts of other things such as garbage and dirt and…. So the scene is disturbing in a sense that with my ‘white person lens’ I had a hard time even stepping into that water yet from the perspective of a Burkinabé in the area, this is where things can get clean. I do have to mention that this image is not a sad one in context as women are chatting with each other while washing the clothes and kids are having a good time and laughing while doing all sorts of tricks in the water. The red flag is only in my head that is signalling the different realities, my reality verses theirs.As I was lost in thoughts while walking by the river, I came across another image: one kid who had caught five or six lizards and had passed a stick through their heads. In Africa, lizards are everywhere. Some are about 30cm long (some unnecessary info about lizards J) As he was walking with few of his buddies, he was showing off by holding up the stick with the dead lizards hanging and telling people about how he had killed them. Well, how often do you see dead lizards as toys?
The same day was also coincided with the “dance of masks” in one of the animist villages. So the dance of masks happens once a year and it happens after the first rain of the year
to show appreciation. Each family is dressed in these crazy outfits with masks on their faces. There are drummers playing as the dancers enter the centre of a huge crowd and start their moves. This was quite interesting to watch. Unfortunately I couldn’t take good pictures. Here in Burkina some believe that if you take a picture you will steal their soul and so you always have to ask before taking a picture. The few times that I did ask, it was not permitted.So the dance of masks brings me to the last image that I want to share and that is also related to indigenous believes and the animist religion. During our last day of stay, Guillaume surprised me by renting a motorbike and showed off his driving skills (by almost getting us into an accident J) on the way to what they call the Sacred fish spot. Here people come from all over the region to pay sacrifices. After abit of hiking and abit of descending in a beautiful mountainous area, you will arrive at a small lake where the sacred fishes live. Sacrifices are made by feeding chickens and even sheeps to these fishes. First, you kill the chickens, sheep and whatever else you want to feed the fishes. Then you take off the furs, skins… Then you take out the intestines and this is what you throw in the water while making a prayer. The rest you can cook right there and eat. This is a small lake surrounded by trees deep inside a mountainous area. By the water and on the rocks you see furs all over the place, there is also blood and flesh. Some people have warms in their hands to throw in the water to the fish. As a rule and to pay respect, you are not allowed to have shoes or sandals on in the area. So imagine all the good stuff that was stuck to my feet after walking around. As tempting as it was to take pictures and record what I was witnessing, again I was not allowed to use my camera…
Did I make it sound ugly and frightening enough? Well, it’s a matter of different realities. In their reality, this activity will help them do better, it will bring them wealth and health and so it might. From their eye it is not ugly, dirty and frightening. It is holly and it is sacred.
I am going to end with a question that Robert Chambers has asked: Whose reality counts?
posted by Bahara S. at 9:20 AM
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