In the lion's den

I've always wanted to go to Africa. It must be so different to all the places I know. Furthermore, two people I deeply admired were in love with that continent, so I am sure there is something special about it.

Ryszard Kapuscinski and YSL

In other hand, I feel a bit scared of what I may see, I feel scared of poverty, and how it will irreparably change my life forever. That's the main reason why I have put it off this summer. While doing an interview to a volunteer priest who lives in Bemb�r�k�, in a country named Benin, I was shocked. As I expected, he said everybody was so friendly and nice, and he told me they offered you the things they have, despite in most of the cases they have nothing.

However, what was shocking to me was that he mentioned how university students -obviusly boys, as women there don't go to university- manage to get a mobile phone which costs as much as eating more than one week. And then, they go to the church to ask for money for going back home during the holidays because they have spent all their money in the greatest mobile phone they could buy. Apparently, you are nobody if you don't have one. Then I realised, consumerism is widespread worldwide. Who can say that doesn't love the extremely gratifying feeling of buying something new, something that you were coveting for a while? I guess that is really the worst legacy from World War II.

I know, I know, there have always been rich and poor people, and we are not able -in fact we don't want- to change that, but since when people who barely eat because they cannot afford it are also obsessed with consuming things? I thought it was the worst menace in developed countries, and you see, we all have that illness...

Siempre he querido ir a �frica. Tiene que ser tan diferente a todos los pa�ses que he visitado. Y adem�s, dos personas que admiro profundamente estaban enamoradas de este continente -Ryszard Kapuscinski e YSL-, as� que estoy segura de que tiene que tener algo especial. Por otro lado, tengo mucho de lo que podr�a ver si fuese all�, sobre todo la pobreza, que estoy segura que cambiar�a mi vida irremediablemente, y para siempre. Esa es la principal raz�n por la que este verano he pospuesto el viaje a �frica.

Mientras hacia una entrevista a un cura que est� viviendo en Bemb�r�k�, una ciudad de Ben�n, y que trabaja como voluntario, me qued� alucinada. Dijo que todo el mundo all� era muy amable, y que te ofrec�an de todo lo que ten�an, aunque en la mayor�a de los casos viven con lo puesto y por lo tanto poco tienen que ofrecer. Sin embargo, lo que me dej� alucinada fue lo que mencion� despu�s. Me cont� que muchos chicos universitarios -las mujeres tienen pocos derechos- se las arreglan para comprarse m�viles que son car�simos, y que �l no entiende como en muchos casos renuncian incluso a hacer algunas comidas para tener ese m�vil. Despu�s, no tienen dinero para volver a casa durante las vacaciones y van a la iglesia a pedirle dinero a ellos para regresar. Aparentemente, no eres nadie si no tienes uno. Entonces me di cuenta, el consumismo est� extendido por todo el mundo. �Qui�n puede decir que no adora esa sensaci�n, extremadamente gratificante, cuando compras algo nuevo, algo que llevabas deseando durante mucho tiempo? Supongo que �ste es el peor legado de la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Lo s�, lo s�, siempre ha habido ricos y pobres, y no hemos sido capaces -en realidad no hemos querido, ni queremos- cambiar eso. Pero �desde cu�ndo la gente que escasamente puede permitirse comer est� obsesionada con consumir bienes materiales? Cre� que era la peor plaga de los pa�ses desarrollados, y ya ves, todos tenemos esa enfermedad...