The yovo next door

 There aren’t too many white people in my neck of the woods. Especially for younger children, my appearance seems to be the object of intense scrutiny. There are two little girls, Véronique and Priscilia, who sit a few rows ahead of me at my host family’s church. They are 6 and 9 years old. When I look at them in the middle of the sermon and give them so much as a pointed eyebrow shrug, they dissolve into a fit of giggles. I should probably try not to be such a distraction, but it’s pretty stinkin cute. Children that I pass on the street tend to look at me in a shocked and bewildered sort of way, like I’ve just gone and burst into flames. In Cotonou they have a word for white people. If I walk down the street, little kids will stop what they are doing and shout, “Yovo! Yovo!” It’s kind of like when you’re driving about, and from his car seat your little boy exclaims, “Look mom! I see a fire truck!” “Yovo” is just the Fon word for “white person.”

My family’s house is in a very nice neighborhood, across the street from the Beninese first lady’s vacation home, and a few blocks away is the home of the president himself. I have also noted that my neighborhood, with its nice houses, high walls, and the occasional security guard, is home to more yovos than most other places in Cotonou. While I was walking around with Sejes and Lowi, I noticed a white family getting out of their car, speaking in German. I wondered if they were missionaries as well, but I didn’t actually talk to them. How would I start a conversation like that? Hello, ma’am. I notice that you are white. Would you like to be friends? Hmmm…

Most of my house is on the ground floor, but there is a section that has 2 additional floors, plus a staircase to the roof. It is pleasant to climb up there after I get home from work, because the mid-day heat has passed. From there you can look around in every direction.

The house on the left is the first lady's "cabine"

So far I have spent most of my weekdays at the Wycliffe office, but last week I had the opportunity to venture out with Carole to talk with friends of Wycliffe about our current activities. Wycliffe Benin is currently planning to construct a new headquarters that will be able to better serve their needs, they are collecting donations from their supporters in the area to help fund the project. During my first week here, we went to visit the location where construction will take place to pray over the whole process.

Most of the office came out to pray for the future headquarters

Have I mentioned that I love the office where I work?! My co-workers are awesome and so very helpful. It’s nice to have someone by my side when we venture out to get lunch—It tends to catch me off guard when food vendors ask, “How much would you like to pay?” rather than “How much food do you want?” I can’t help but think, What kind of a question is that?? But Pauline or Mariette are happy to help me navigate those conversation, for which I am grateful. It helps to have a friend by my side who can speak Fon and who knows what on earth they’re talking about. ;) We all speak French to one another in the office, but many of my co-workers have also expressed an interest in improving their English. So apparently I’ll be teaching an informal class in the office, which they’re hoping to start that up in the next few weeks. In the meantime, I took the liberty to draw up a little poster to help them start practicing…

It's taped to my office door, workin like a charm ;)

Nothing makes my day quite like seeing Papa Tébé, the office pastor (and the oldest staff member), throw out his hands and say, “What’s up??” I’m glad to see they are having fun with it :D

So far, the average day at the office starts at or a little after 8am. One of my co-workers usually swings by my house to bring me to work. When we arrive, everyone gathers in the meeting room for morning praise and prayer. Then we work until about 10:30 or 11, when there is a half-hour coffee break. From 1pm to 3pm, we are technically off the clock, and most people (including me) use this time to go out and get lunch, and maybe catch a nap. Nothing says “team bonding” like 3 office-mates conked out in the conference room for a good 45 minutes! I think I can get used to that… ;] At 3pm everyone returns to work until 6pm, which is officially the end of the day, although many work later than that.

Paulin is the man I will be working with on the multi-media side of things. Last week he was out of town teaching a computer literacy/proficiency class. This week, he is doing the same thing, but the current class is being held in a church in Godomey (or Godomé), which is a town a few miles west of Cotonou.

There's Paulin at the front, writing on the blackboard.

Godomey is pretty close to Cotonou, so I get to join him this week as a sort of TA. I circulate around to help the participants with their questions, and I help to clean up the equipment afterwards. This is probably the first time I’ve met people my age and older who are learning how to use a computer for the first time. Paulin teaches them how to use Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, and the Internet. When he asked the participants what “Internet” meant to them, the first two answers were “a research network” and “communication.” Praise God for all of the doors that will be opened for these people with the new skills they’ve learned!

If you find it hard to imagine life without ever using a computer, my co-workers and host family had a similar reaction when I told them I had never ridden a motorcycle before coming to Africa! Motorcycles are about as integral and necessary for the people of Cotonou as computers are for your average North American. It seems like everyone here rides motorcycles, and now I have too! And I even get a shiney black helmet to show for it! Going to and from work riding on the back of a “moto” is actually one of my favorite parts of the day, and I get to do it (you'll want to sit down for this, mom) every day of the week! Lucky for me—and for everyone else on the road—I don’t think I will be driving one by myself during my time here. :]

As I've gotten to explore Cotonou a bit more, usually during a work-related excursion, it has become clear that in Cotonou, you can be sold anything, anywhere. Last week when I was out to lunch with my co-worker Yvon, a man was walking around the restaurant with a massive roll of TV remote controls. I don't know how else to describe it—just a big roll. It was incredible, probably 2 feet in diameter. Out on the street, if there is a stop light or a traffic controller, there will inevitably also be a group of vendors standing by, ready to weave between the stopped cars and brandish their wares for drivers and passengers to peruse from where they are sitting. The street vending that you see here kind of reminds me of "impulse buys" at the grocery store. You know, the shelf of last minute items that people might decide to buy while they're waiting in line for the check-out. Hm, I hadn't thought of it before, but now that you mention it, I DO need some more gum! But here, in addition to gum, you can also find a new pair of trousers, a replacement tire, a soccer ball, a blender, an Irish wrist watch, a pair of sandals, a broom, fleece blankets (when anyone would use that in this climate is beyond me), trash cans, a power strip, the kitchen sink, and an educational toy for your infant nephew! I wasn't kidding when I said anything. Today, I kid you not, we passed a guy who had a fat puppy in each hand and was holding them up next to people's car windows. My day was officially made. :) Maybe next time I should ask how much it would cost just to cuddle one.

On that note, thank you again for reading! I would greatly appreciate continued prayers for health and safety, for the Beninese government, for continued relationships with my co-workers and host-family, and for the computer literacy class and it's participants. On that last one, please pray specifically that the electricity in that neighborhood would not be cut during the class, as that can put a major kink in the day's lesson.

Until next time!