Reality

I went with the president of Bongfeeri to see the mayor about the chairs and tables he promised us. Despite his annoying insistence on me finding a koyraboro husband, he was very honest about the situation of development here.

Bureaucrats essentially work for free. There is no money to pay them. No one pays taxes either--even at the low low price of $2 (1000F) a year per member of the family! So the Mayor can't fund projects. I wish I could do a non-partisan good-citizenship campaign. Such as, "Come on, you want roads that don't fill with water spreading disease and fostering mosquitoes when it rains? Then pay your taxes!" "You want free mosquito nets? Pay taxes!" It is quite annoying knowing people want development but don't want to do what it takes to get there. Sure the economy needs to expand--rather the market economy needs to become independent of foreign aid--in order for people to be able to afford taxes but that would take business opportunities and entries into the global market. At least the mayor approved us getting the chairs from the school board. Now let's go get them!!