Road construction 2005, part 1

Road construction by working-insentive-methode (= by hand) in the rural area between Bohicon and Cové. By upgrading the infrastructure, the hope was to get more people and traffic – and by that – more commerce through the poor area.

If you want to see the all photo as a video instead, have a look here

 

Road constuction, part 2, 2012

The new road filled with small stalls along the sides. The women said that she now can live from her oranges and don’t have to walk a long distance to the market in town. Her little girl is helping her, but the two older one she’d send to school.

Smugler petrol

Along the road side its common to see petrol in wine flasks. The price is lower than in normal petrol station and the supply is constantly coming in crossing the border of Nigeria. The lady with the empty cans on the back of the motorbike is probably on her way to the border. The most common means of transportation is taxi motorbikes. In cities they wear a special colored vest.

 

By the river

Dantokpa market, the biggest of its kind in Westafrica, where women are unloading their goods. Higher up the river, in the pole city of Ganvié, almost everything can be bought on the water.

 

 

Well

A rural area in Abomey district, kids are playing with the water (a scene that should be used for Danidas 50 anniversary exhibition). Now women can save 2-3 hours a day, because they no longer have to walk far to get water.

 

Voodoo celebration day in Ouidah

Every year in January people gater at the beach in the small city of Ouidah, the birthplace of voodoo. (It is also the place from where many thousands slaves was send off to America. The monument “Point of no return” is visible in the background).

It’s a spectacular day with music, dance, people having fun, some going into trance –  others just getting drunk and taking a dip in the ocean.