I appreciate the radio director because he takes the time to understand what we’re looking for. The president of the assoc. that runs the radio is somewhat of a formality and most decisions are made by the director unilaterally--so I hope to talk to them a little about management and governance. The Mayor amuses me—a typical politician who speaks in a very exact French of France (the South near Marseilles according to a friend of mine from Lorraine). It will take me awhile to learn the politics of the town and who to go to for what service. Such as organising. The animators of the radio asked for 100.000F CFA! And here I thought working as a white person is tough—working with an NGO known to dispense cash is even harder! Gah, some of the precedents we’ve set like say, paying chefs to come in from village to participate, bother me. Coming back through Bourem I saw the costumes and the work the theater group had accomplished. It will be interesting to see how they "play," especially one cross-dressing actor who will also play the mosquito.
The Mayor said something that I think is one of the biggest barriers to development. The population has never been decolonized. They are still accustomed to having everything come from outside. The only solution as I see it? Stop all interventions. All funding. And I know, White Man’s Burden and our guilt persist. Well, we need to stop making it worse. Can we let them develop themselves for a generation according to their mores and objectives and see what happens?
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