Tag Archives | Shakaloke

Roch's parents and wife

Roch, a resident of Puerto Novo participated in a teachers’ exchange program in Vienna years ago. Only days before departing for Benin I learned about this through my friend Linde Magg, who hosted Roch during his day in Vienna. He answered my mail immediately and met me already on my first day in Cotonou. Quickly it was decided that I would welcome the New Year with his extended family in Puerto Novo.

New Year’s Eve was rather quiet. Roch’s adult children had invited friends from Nigeria and hung around the house before leaving for a club. But January 1 was an unparalleled life time experience.

Path separating the two villages of Camate&Shakaloke

A small path separates the two villages of Camata and Shakaloke. Why they never merged? Two different clans reside there, explained Monsieur Bash, who works for Conetre e Protégé Nature. This local NGO supports villagers with all kinds of projects, like collecting rainwater, a school was built, the value of herbal medicine is kept alive and the occasional tourists in the area is shown these achievements.

A privilege that I had more or less to myself, in the four days around Dassa I did not see a single tourists.