Interview with Ms. Leslie Blanton, a Native Cote d'Ivoirian
- Does the country have any unique traditions? If so, which is your favorite?
- What is the daily schedule/routine for most people?
- What is the work schedule/routine for most people?
- How is the economy overall?
Cote d'Ivoire has many traditions that are different from my upbringing in the United States. However, I don't know how unique they are to West Africa. The one I describe below is one of my favorites because it is civil, kind, and comforting. I experienced in different versions in differerent parts of West Africa: When you arrive at someone's home in a village or small town, whether you are a stranger or a friend, the very first thing they do is offer you a place to sit and some water to drink. After that, all the people at the house welcome you formally by shaking your hand and asking "the news." This is a polite way to ask how you are doing and the reason for your visit. They inquire about your family, your health, and your work. After you have said that all are fine, you can move on to explain, specifically, why you have come, whether it be for a friendly visit or for business. Those who don't follow this practice are thought to have been raised wrong or be too big city to respect this tradition. It is a wonderful way to acknowledge your guest(s) and show your hospitality. And more often than not, you'll be invited to join them for lunch before you leave.
in Côte d'Ivoire? I don't know what the percentages are, but I would guess that the vast majority of Ivoirians are doing agricultural work. I can only write about the schedule/routine of the people in the rural village where I lived and in the region (which doesn't have bustling, metropolitan cities). That schedule was the same every day except for on days of worship (at the church or mosque), on forbidden days (days you should not work on the farm), or on days of celebration or other occassions (weddings, funerals, school graduation, Christmas, Ramadan). The schedule for women was to get up before sunrise, make breakfast for the family, dress the children, clean the compound (house and yard), send the kids off to their various destinations (school, a relative's house, etc.) and then head off to the farm with a large basin on her head full of food for lunch and tools for working the crops. Her kids who aren't in school may go to work with her on the farm. They walk to work, often several miles. Depending on the season, she works all day in the fields, preparing the earth for planting, or tearing out weeds to keep crops growing, or harvesting. She does this until almost sunset and returns to clean up (herself, the kids, and the house) and make dinner. Often she may have to make a trip to the well or pump or pond to get water for the family. Girls do much of the same work, which is how they learn to run their own household when they grow up.
Men also spend the day at the farm, tending the crops. Unlike the women, the men may have cash crops in addition to crops to feed the family. They generally don't do the other tasks I listed above, but they are responsible for repairing roofs and other buildings in the village, when necessary. They also hunt.
Is it like the American system consisting of a morning to evening work block with a lunch break and a two day weekend? If not, how does it differ? From what I understand, people in the city are at work by 7:30 or 8am. They break from about 12-2pm for lunch and return for another three hours or so to finish out the work day. The long break at lunchtime allows them to return home to eat and take a nap, if they wish.
They were doing well for many years but were in decline when I was there (1999-2002). Since the civil war, things are even worse.