domingo, 16 de mayo de 2010

Darwin's Dream...or at least ligth sleep


Huber Sauper filmed once, in Darwin's Nigthmare (en español) the poverty and injustice of those living from fishing Nile perch, the predator fish of Lake Victoria.Over there, hard work, indecent pay checks, profiteering, AIDS, abandoned kids, prostitution and gun trafficking  cohabite in the same neighbourhood.

Our case, in Darwin's Dream, takes place in Lake Orckococha, Potosí, Bolivia and it is very different. It talks about the hope of some newborn fishermen, in a newly stabilised trout fishing ground. Last Monday was the first fishing day in that lake, and what a catch! Over 360 fishes! With help of professionals, of course but impressionant nevertheless.


I thought about becoming a fisherman myself...but I think that others more used to take llamas to graze in the highlands of Bolivia though about it as a very demanding activity. One has to wake up early, collect ice, in an already iced climate condition, undo the knots in the nets, remove the guts of the fish...may be too much bother.I got really upset about the lack of motivation there. It seems that you one cared about the catch resting in the sun. I felt that Ratita and I were the more dedicated persons to them. The ones that cared about the project the most, even if you are the less benefited by it.

Last Friday, four days after that day, one of the Mr. Pandereta's tfirend, told us that they did not fish on Friday night, and therefore there was not catch on Saturday to be sold in the Market of Potosí. What a surprise for me! I should have bet a finger and a toe vs. 200 quits! I knew it!

You may want to add this to your list of potentially failed development projects! It is on mine since I came here. When the developers want developments and the ones to be developed what to develop without working, nothing more than a waste of money and time can happened. Another lesson learned, at least by me.

1 comentario:

  1. Yep! I already met some other people doing the same kind of thing in Africa years ago... Well, actually, they were trying to teach Pygmys how to grow vegetable to make them settle down... They did everything right: show them how to do it, brought some crops to get started, built a storage area, etc... and basically they ended up with the same result! 2 weeks after the end, someone died in the community and they all moved 20kms away, leaving everything behind. Bad idea to try and change people that don't want to be changed! ;)

    Maxime

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