Elders Crossing the Bridge – Succession on Both Sides

The last time we crossed the bridge from the U.S. to Afrika in 2007, we had begun to think about succession planning to transfer our family business to the young members. But we were only thinking about succession on the U.S. side of the bridge. Our “son in Monrovia” was actually working on a project in Nigeria and so we had no “project advisor” in Liberia at the time. We had our project manager who worked tirelessly maintaining work schedules and meeting all our demanding deadlines, but she was younger then and all the weight of planning and most of the decision making was on Baba’s and my shoulders. This time we see the young warriors in Africa are as brave as the young warriors we just left in the U.S. All of them are taking huge responsibility for planning and directing projects on BOTH sides of the bridge – whichever side they are on. How blessed Baba and I are!

So our work flow in Liberia has begun to change. Instead of planning and directing the work as we’ve always done, we’re reviewing plans from the young team along with our original plans and providing more oversight than direction to some of the work. This new dynamic has brought us some excellent benefits indeed – and some headaches. And yes, some of the headaches result from our fear of loosening our grip on totally controlling everything. It’s scary!

There are some tasks that Baba and I simply cannot do and some that we cannot do any longer. For instance, our project advisor completely handled finding us the station wagon. We really didn’t know where to start with that. And then the team handled getting our internet communication set up. We’d still be trying to get that together if we had to go it alone. We actually tried to become more independent on the computer maintenance, etc. before we left the U.S., I’m sorry to report – we failed. The young crew has saved us several times when it comes to cell phones, computer, and all the other technological devices we’re forced to deal with. We’re only beginning to learn about solar energy, so the project advisor’s direction for the solar installation is really needed. The actual purchasing and transporting of the new equipment and supplies was a chore Baba always relished handling when we were younger. So I was delighted to see him (for the most part) allowing the young ones to handle it.

In some cases the help of the young crew has improved on plans we’d already made. For example, we underestimated the cost of the well water plan we’d prepared. This is a case where the experience and expertise of our project advisor saved the day. He created a new plan that will be much more cost efficient and, in the end, a more effective water delivery system. The new farm projects submitted by the team members are also promising and with some tweaking to insure they fit our sustainability commitment, will be a boon to our initial farming effort. And we’re very proud of the beautiful designs incorporated into the cultural center and new design ideas for the guest houses.

So we’re beyond blessed and thankful for the manner in which this succession process is coming along. We’re learning to live with the frustrations of some outcomes not being exactly what we wanted or “short cuts” that sometimes end up with us retracing steps and taking a much longer time in the end. These are sacrifices we feel are worth it. After all, there are many parts of the project we still have to handle: the guest house and other building construction has to still be managed by Baba; I will continue to manage the smaller and experimental farm projects like the composting plan, trees in conservation, a new wetlands idea, and specialty crops.

In spite of all this, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Why are we still sitting down in the capital? We’ve never had to stay in Monrovia this long when we handled everything on our own. Tuesday is the absolute last delayed departure day we can take. Baba and I can still get on the road by ourselves if we just HAVE to!

 

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Crossing the Bridge 2011 – Part 2

Cashew Tree

Baba and I got very good seating arrangements on the Air Maroc flights. We were able to stretch out and since we didn’t bother with the meals and movies, we slept for most of each flight. As a result, when we arrived in Monrovia, we were up to a brief “tete-a-tete” with our host and his associates before retiring to bed at about 6 am. The large office/residence is atop some business enterprises situated on the first level and in the very heart of the capital city. We always look forward to getting our “Liberian grounding” when we stay here. The hustle and bustle of the city prevailed as always, but couldn’t wake us until 11 am. Thank goodness it was Sunday and we could move slowly, discuss latest developments, eat safari bars, drink water, and reconnect with our primary contact for the project, Mamie, our project manager. She joined Baba, me, our host, and his associates for a first meeting of what quickly became our new team. The enthusiasm for our Gbanka project was shared by all our Monrovia family. Everyone agreed that we needed to go up to Gbanka to see the site and make a quick assessment before deciding what supplies and equipment to purchase for the project. I kept commenting on how healthy everyone looked, how slim they all seemed to be until I realized that I just left the United States where everyone and everything is “bigger and better”.  Although it’s true that Liberians today look stronger and fit compared to how most people looked during the “war years”, I began to understand that everybody was really just their regular size.  It was I that saw them as looking extra good because I was so delighted to see them. However, I did hear the comment that some Liberians are slimmer. I’m sure we’ll find out why soon enough.

It was decided that since the next day was a holiday, we should take advantage of the decrease in traffic on the roads and go to the site right away tomorrow. We’d leave for Gbanka early in the morning, make a site assessment, and return in the afternoon.

What a good drive it turned out to be! Even in dry season, the landscape was green and welcoming to the eye. We bought lots of fresh fruits on the road, took photos and made videos. We arrived to find the land unrecognizable. What was this lushly forested compound we drove into? Where we had planted little seedlings in 2007, there were big trees everywhere. It made the area look much fuller. The Cultural Center was there, the shrine was there so it was Shabuta alright. We knew we were in Shabuta for sure when we met the staff and saw old friends as well as meeting new faces. Mamie had decorated the doors with Adinkra Hene, designs from the West African Adinkra textile design tradition. The floors were higher with their new, decorative tiles. The windows were all in place and Ol’ Pa, the chief craftsman, had created an exquisite design on the new ceilings! The design is symbolic of the web of Anansi, the spider. Anansi is the famous trickster character of African folklore who sometimes surprises you with his integrity and wisdom. We have a real cultural arts haven already. It will take time to furnish the center because now everything must come up to the design standards already set. Our host from Monrovia was pleased with the entire site and immediately asked for one acre to begin a planting project. So we already have a farm project request after the first day!

We walked round and round the compound as some workmen were still laying tiles in some of the rooms. The project manager’s little son of five years, was the youngest assistant and working very hard. So many trees!!! The palava hut, the round reception building, was originally built in a very open area adjacent to the center. It has now been virtually displaced by the trees! We’ll probably have to relocate it. Ol’ Pa would like to see benches placed under the trees. Baba spent lots of time doing a broad sweep of the area with the team and Shabuta staff and began assessing additional essentials for the center. I was doing the same for housekeeping essentials and just trying to remember and locate all my small, small garden projects near the center.

We were able to enjoy paw paw (papaya) fruit from our own trees and fresh pineapple in a delicious fruit combo. Then we took lots of photos and videos. It was time to depart all too soon because we had some stops to make on the way back to Monrovia.

The first stop we made was to the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI) in Suakoko. We were introduced to Professor Norris who showed us some interesting tree crops, herbs and animal husbandry projects. We then collected some more paw paw fruits. We’re very excited about gaining such an amiable contact at the CARI facility. It’s so close to Shabutaso and we’ve been passing there for years wishing we could learn more about it.

We then continued on the road back to Monrovia gathering goodies all along the way until we reached Kakata, about 2 hours from Monrovia, where we stopped in to meet another farmer. He had planted about a half acre just near his home all in a wide variety of vegetables and watermelon. He invited us to harvest as much food as we could carry. No problem! But the most exciting thing about this stop was when Baba realized this was the same farmer who had wanted to buy one of his paintings, entitled “Zanzibar”, almost 30 years ago. The vagaries of war had made it impossible at that time. When Baba reminded him about the painting, the man said, “I still want it! Do you have it?”

I immediately recalled an incident that had happened about 2 weeks before our departure from the U.S. We sent two barrels of project essentials and I noticed that Baba was sending a huge painting box as well. When I asked him if he was sending a painting back to Afrika, he said he just decided to send it. I couldn’t remember another painting that same huge size and shape except “Zanzibar” and so I asked him if that box was “Zanzibar”. He said, “Yes”. “But I thought you would never sell that painting. Are you sending it back to keep it in Afrika?” In true cancerian fashion, he didn’t give me a straight answer and after almost 50 years of marriage, I just “kept quiet”. I’m still amazed that he chose that particular painting to ship back home.

Before we got back to Monrovia, we stopped two more times. We met the owner of the Aquarius Water company, who has a large snack bar near her water treatment plant. It might be a perfect stop for bridge-builders on their way to Shabutaso! And we got to stop by one of our host’s business enterprises: a wood-work and welding workshop. His wife was there and we ended our trip by going to see the newest addition to the family at their home. What a beautiful and precocious little one year old girl. After that very full first work day, we fell into bed when we got back to the apartment at about 11pm.

By the time we left Shabuta we had a new project advisor on board. What a wonderful welcome Back Home!Ceiling – Anansi’s Web

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Crossing the Bridge 2011 – Part 1

We wanted to experience this journey as if we were community members crossing the bridge for the first time. So the news we received on Jan. 27th of the big snow in the New York area was a shock. We’re scheduled to depart tomorrow and JFK airport is closed! We’re worried. We’ve been planning all year – Baba’s been PACKED all year!
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Give thanks! JFK has reopened. Then we were blessed again with an amazing send-off at RDU airport about 8:30am: the entire North Carolina Shabu Clan came with hugs, kisses and photo-taking. We wanted to kidnap all the grandchildren, especially little Funmilayo who could just fit in our backpack. As we disappeared around the bend at the top of the escalator, we could still hear the beautiful voices singing “Ise Oluwa”- Mabinti’s voice leading, beautiful sounds floating on the air.
The RDU security check was smooth and we were early enough to get settled and to relax. A young woman with beautiful locs in her hair greeted and sat across from us. She explained that the flight was delayed and as we began to talk, I noticed a piece of Afrikan cloth tied on her bag. When I mentioned Africa she began to talk about her interest in Africa. Of course, I told her about our trip and she immediately realized that we were Taji’s parents. Our daughter, Taji, started this young woman’s locs. She even knew about our book, Kpawo, the Bridge and our work in Africa. Then one of the brethren of our close community members, Ras Jahaziel and Mama Ilu, recognized us. He called Ras on his cell phone and it was most heart-warming to receive his blessing for our “exodus”. We didn’t even notice the delay in the flight.
The Jet Blue flight to JFK was very orderly, comfortable, and smooth. Taji booked the flight through Expedia. We got a luggage cart and took the AirTran to the Royal Air Maroc Terminal very easily. Our worries about booking the Air Maroc flight through Cheapo-Air were relieved as the check-in was easy. Even delivering our own checked baggage to the loading dock wasn’t much of an inconvenience. We were thinking, “Anyone in our community would be able to do this with no problem”, but that’s where the pleasant air terminal experience ended – abruptly.
For the most part, the whole lot of JFK personnel were rude, disrespectful, and bordering on abusive. Thank goodness a very few of them were amiable and helpful. They made our experience barely bearable. After several rude outbursts from airport staff and security personnel, Baba’s bag was snatched for inspection, examined item by item, rescanned a second time in the “machine”, and the contents completely mangled. Anyone who knows Baba knows that he is meticulous and never more so than in packing for his trip to Afrika. Did I mention he was already packed months in advance? So it took some time and nerve wracking energy to repack all that stuff. Then to see the same negro escort an elderly white man to a seat and politely explain the security procedures to him – right in front of our faces as we were nervously repacking Baba’s bag – was a bit much. I had to get Baba out of there as fast as I could.
A kind young brother had respectfully approved me to go right through the inspection area when a white guy came running me down, “Get someone to pat this ‘female target’ down.” The “pat down” was embarrassing for the young women doing it as well as for me.
Boarding was a nightmare as the Royal Air Maroc crew got their signals all mixed up: “Parents w/small children…. No! Everybody…. No! Rows 20 and up. General boarding…. No! Everybody STOP!” A real mess!
The flight was a smooth take off; a smooth and pleasant ride over the Atlantic – not too, too cold; a smooth landing. We always feel safe on the Air Maroc flight. We never eat airline food so can’t comment on it, but our own Safari Bars were good, as always.
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In the Casablanca airport, it is always pre-arranged for us to spend the long lay-over as transit passengers in a hotel. On this trip, the transit procedure was a worse nightmare than the boarding fiasco. There was confusion as we were falsely directed from one end to the other of the Hassan V Airport many times. We had to go up and down stairs where escalators were not working and after climbing a huge staircase, we finally got the hotel voucher with transportation to the hotel after hours of unnecessary delay. Baba said maybe Moroccans were nervous and confused because of the civil unrest in Tunisia and Egypt.
The Atlas Airport Hotel was pretty new and close to the airport. Service was haphazard. It seemed as though they were not up to the huge influx of transit guests, but the rooms were comfortable. And the lunch was excellent – a plentiful buffet serving many delicious varieties of fresh and cooked vegetables in different recipes, simple dressings, lots of Moroccan favorites and delicious small tangerines – meats and fish too.
Casablanca is toooo cold this time of winter. We chose Air Maroc because of our long tradition of never flying through Europe to go to Afrika. Over the years we’ve always gone directly to Africa from the U.S. via, in the old, old days, Pan American, Air Afrique, and now, Royal Air Maroc. But looking at it from the community point of view, we can’t recommend flying Air Maroc. There’s too much airport hassle and stress for most people.
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And the airport stress in the extreme continued until we were seated on the flight to Freetown, Sierra Leone. We had decided to reroute our journey through Sierra Leone instead of Ivory Coast since the former Ivorian president is causing unrest in that country. A welcome stress reliever was when we met a beautiful Sierra Leonean Mende woman from, of all places, Damascus, Syria! She was coming home to Sierra Leone for the first time in 30 years! She and her sons spoke Arabic and it was astonishing to listen to them converse and to chat with her. The globalization wars have caused so many people to relocate to countries far from their birthplace. She expressed a tremendous yearning to see her home, her ancestral heritage.
The flight was pleasant from take-off to touch down in Monrovia at 4am. Our “son”, Ian, had a young man waiting at the arrivals gate with our names on a big card and he led us quickly and safely through all the protocols. Our checked baggage was just arriving on the carousel as we reached it so our helper grabbed our bags and took us to a big white “double-cab Toyota truck” (just what we’ve been trying so hard to get for the farm). We embraced Jacob and Ian in the sheer joy of arriving finally, safely, and in pristine condition. “We’re in Liberia! We’re home!”

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Preparing for Bridge Crossing – 2010

OUR BAGS ARE PACKED!!! For our family and friends the wait is over. We depart early next year for our continued work at home in Africa. Many thanks to all our Takin’ It to The Bridge! supporters. Over the past two years we have honored 11 Bridge Builders and raised thousands of dollars. With proceeds from TTB! ticket sales, silent auction bids, and donations we have purchased bricks to continue building Shabuta. All of this has made our return home possible. Thank you! Your energetic support has propelled Shabutaso to a position of high esteem in the Gbanka community on the other side of the bridge. The ground is ready. The construction crew is ready. The villagers are ready. Spirits are high on both sides of the Bridge, ready to build our sanctuary for all of us in Africa.

Let us share our journey home with you. The leg from New York City to Casablanca, Morocco is 7 ½ hours flight. With a one day layover in Casablanca, you feel its quasi-European air, but our mission is so clear that we only give thanks for the palm trees and foaming sea that make us know we’re not far from our real destination. From Casablanca on to Abidjan, Ivory Coast our airport crew friends greet us with the latest West Africa news. The next day we depart from Abidjan to the capital city of Monrovia in Liberia. There, we’ll spend the night with our “son” Ian to catch up on the current social and political climate and consult with him on Shabuta construction developments. We’ll need to make a few other stops in and around the capital for supplies. It is still another 5 hour drive before we reach our final destination – our Shabuta farm in the Gbanka forest. It’s an awe-inspiring journey indeed! We must make sure we bring everything we need!

Thank goodness we won’t have to worry about eating city food while moving around from Casablanca to Monrovia. As we always do, we’ll prepare our emergency food, Safari Bars. They give us full energy to get all the work done. You too will love the nutritious and delicious Safari Bars made with our own special recipe (see attachment for recipe). While in Monrovia we’ll buy our pick-up truck for transporting construction crew and building materials for our Shabuta guest houses. Before we leave, monies from the sale of our sturdy Subaru station wagon donated by our long time supporter and colleague Akiba Byrd will make this possible.

After greeting our city friends in Monrovia and gathering all our building equipment, we can say farewell to the capital and head toward the mountain forest. It’s so important to have all the communication gear in hand: computer, phone, radio, camera, camcorder, etc. We’ll need to stay in touch with our family and friends in the capital (5 hours away), neighboring towns and villages, neighboring countries, and especially our family and friends in the U.S. and Diaspora. Regular communication is a survival tool for us.
Once we leave the capital, the landscape changes suddenly and dramatically as we head northeast into the interior. Even traveling on the ground by car, we see why Liberia is described as the “emerald” of West Africa – so green. As we travel along looking at distant images in the bush instead of a computer or television screen, we feel our “Africa sight” returning: not just clarity of vision, but a sense of smell, sound, and taste. Yet at our ages we realize we’ll need our eye glasses and even an extra pair.

As we approach Shabuta there is always a tingle of excitement. Our Gbanka village neighbors greet and welcome us back on the bumpy road to the farm. Just to see the glint of the sun bouncing off the shiny roof of the Shabuta Cultural Center always makes our hearts jump. We unpack and settle in before the sun goes down. Until we have a generator, any work after dark will have to be done by candle light. We get up in the morning to the rooster crowing, “Kukuruokuu”, and are reminded that a well pump is needed for the daily chore of hauling water. Despite this arduous 30 year journey, building Shabuta along with your support makes it all worth it. We can already see ourselves welcoming you, our first guests to Shabuta!

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