The Mango Women and Shabeens
On my way home from Kgapane is a stretch of road occupied by the “mango women.” It is here that ten women sit with buckets of mangos to sell to the passing cars. If a car does pull up, which seems to be rarely, the women run to the vehicle vying for the buyer. The whole venture seems futile on a number of levels:
Everyone in this area has a mango tree and eats their own fruit.
It would make more sense to me if they would spread along the road in order to not all compete for the same business. I feel like one entrepreneur of the group would move further up the street.
I suppose they enjoy each other’s company and this is just the way things are. My American need for reasoning and efficiency somehow seems naive, unwanted, or simply ridiculous here.
Does it strike anyone else beside me as odd/strange that the nicest shops: brick buildings, painted, tables, grass are the shabeens/taverns. Frankly, I find it discouraging.
posted by Cait at 8:08 AM
2 Comments:
Melissa gave me the link to your blog. I spent a year w my family in KZN and am now back in PA watching snow fall and homesick for Africa where I was born (Kenya)
You write so well you could make a living at it.
About the mangoes... as a kid I used to go with the women to sell potatoes at the main road an hours walk away (a white kid meant best potatoes and more sales - go figure). When I was little, one woman would take everyones potatoes and sell for all, each woman would take turns. 15 years later every woman went and competed against each other, the trust had fallen away within the communities and living was far harder, this was in Kenya but I see the same in RSA. I truly believe the women are the future of Africa, they get anything that is important done. I hope that cooperation gains traction with time.
You know nothing. Obviously this experience is wasted on someone heartless and ignorant. Instead of comparing your life to theirs (which I am venturing has been extremely different, given that you have the opportunity to be there) why don't you try learning and growing from it?
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