PEACE MOTHERS JOURNEY DAY ONE VILLAGE ONE

December 17, 2012

Today we will visit two villages in the Koinadugu District spending the night in the second one. The villagers do not know we are visiting. This is the way Fambul Tok operates. Once the villages have had the reconciliation bonfire the district staff is on the road everyday doing spot checks to make sure all is going well and intervening where necessary. To get the true picture they always arrive unannounced unless there is a need for a specific meeting such as the ones we did before the elections.

On The Way To The Rice Farm

As we drive up the road towards the first village we see many women coming towards us with tools over their shoulders and some with pots on top of their heads. We are in luck! It is farming day at the Peace Mothers farm. Most of the villages have up to three farms: Peace Mothers Farm, Community Peace Farm and Family farm. They have a detailed schedule for working at each of these farms.

We continue into the village to meet the Town Chief letting him know we are there and asking permission to film. As we drive in we are greeted enthusiastically by the remaining villagers. The men, children and the women who choose not to belong to the Peace Mothers Cooperative gather around our car. It is confirmed that the Peace Mothers are farming on their rice farm today.

Making our way back we park by the side of the road in front of the narrow grass covered path leading to the farm. As we make our way through the tall grass we allow the women to pass us on their way to work. They are more sure footed than we and greet us as they pass some making the comment they are surprised to see us.

Clearing the Ground For Thrashing Floor

Climbing under a log and wending our way down the long path we finally reach the place where women and some men are busily clearing a section of ground located just up from the swamp rice field. The men do the heavy clearing with machetes and axes while the women use narrow hoe-like instruments to do the fine clearing. This clearing will become the thrashing floor when they harvest the rice in two weeks.

The women who have arrived first are already hard at work. Nursing mothers are hoeing with their babies tied to their backs. They are singing as they work. It is hard, labor intensive, back breaking work, but the joy, peace and unity of the activity is evident.

Toddlers and other slightly older children are sitting around watching the activities. Mothers stop to nurse their babies and then hop back up to work. One young boy is helping the women clear with his small hoe. One of the women shows me she has cut her foot. She takes several leaves of a nearby plant and squeezes the juice on the cut cleansing it. The she takes another leave and dabs the sap from the stem to seal the cut! I am told it will heal very quickly with this treatment.

The rice field stretches as far as the eye can see in either direction and is colored with different hues of green and gold. The planting is done in stages so the harvest is manageable. The different colors of rice show the different stages of ripening. Light bright green for the youngest sprouts, darker green and then gold when ready to harvest. Some of the rice is allowed to get dark brown and that will be used for seed at the next planting. Usually the yield is two crops a year.

Rice Farm Note Hut in Background

Located across the field I spy a thatch roofed hut and ask why it is there. It is used during harvest for resting, cooking and eating. On the days they work the farm they are there all day. Labor is divided with some of the women preparing the meal while the others work. The meal preparation duty is rotational. 

This farm is worked and owned by all the Peace Mothers in the villages of the section and many of them walk a long distance to get here. Each village contributes something for the meal; either 1,000 SLL or a cup of rice, or fish, etc.

Once the ground is free of all plant life they will cover it with cow dung and let it dry thus forming a flat thrashing floor for the harvesting that will take place in two weeks.

Having us there is too tempting and soon the women are dancing and gathering around us with welcoming songs. I dance and sing along. Then, a treat! One of the men and one of the women perform a mating dance. It is very colorful and dramatic.

When they get back to clearing some of the women begin preparing food. A roaring fire is started in seconds using long logs and who knows what to get the flame going. Girls Scouts could learn from them! Once the cooking is done, the meal consumed and the dishes washed everyone will get back to work.

Saying Good-bye

We say our good-byes because we realize they will not get much work done with us there. They love to socialize and visit and are proud of their farm. This farm was started after Fambul Tok took them through the forgiveness process. The women all say they would not be empowered as they are and here together with this successful farm if it weren’t for Fambul Tok. They use the proceeds to send their children to school. 

They would like to have tarpaulin to cover the thrashing floor since it would eliminate the small stones that always get into the rice. They also want to do cross district fish trading as the next step for growth beyond their farm.

On our way back up the path we find that someone has cut the tall grass and pulled the log down to ease our walk to the car!

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma/Sara