In 2013 an
English-speaking guide at Nikolo-Koba N.P., the meanwhile deceased
Ousmane Bate, took me 20 km off the asphalt raod to the Mandinge village of
Bantancoling. There I met Moro Sandiako harvesting his cotton in a field.
He is about my age, a polygamous muslim farmer, a respected man. I took
a few pictures of the village, Moro's compound and the persons of his
family. When I returned in 2016 and 2019 I sadly did not meet him, just
family-members. Now, on this late afternoon in January 2025, 13 years
later, I was carrying with me the photos from 2013, 2016 and 2019 and was happy to find
Moro sitting in front of his hut in a hammock, peacefully reading his Koran. He recognized me very quickly and smiled, when he saw the
pictures. We shook hands. He did not stand up, but remained sitting, as a
small crowd of people were gathering around us, handing around the
photos and commenting them loudly. The little girls from 2013 were now
young mothers! If I had decided to retire and peacefully read the Koran, - or the Bible, or anything else, in front of my house, no thinkable event could have collected so many laughing young relatives and neighbours around me. I felt no envy, because I was happy to travel and do what I am doing, but I had a clear sense, that he was enjoying a social atmosphere that had some advantages over mine.
 |
| Moro Sandiako in 2013 |
 |
| Moro Sandiaku in 2025 | | |
 |
| Moro and one of his wives in 2013 |
 |
| freshly harvested cotton in 2013 |
 |
| stored cotton in 2025 |
 |
| the well and the village |
 |
| 2019 |
 |
| returning to the village in the evening. One must carry the firewood. 2025 |
 |
| the road to the village Banatancoling |
 |
| 2025 |
 |
| 2025 |
 |
| 2025 |
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen