Newspaper Page Text
November, 1967
THE SPELMAN SPOTLIGHT
Page 7
Crossroaders Tell
Of Life in Africa
Spelman, one of the one
hundred and five cooperating
colleges, sent Yvonnzier Sta
ley, Savannah Potter, Andrella
Bunyan and Mary Hatcher to
learn about Africa and its
people by active participation
in Crossroads Africa during
the summer of ’67. They
traveled in the east, west, and
as far south as Botswana.
All four girls worked in
towns and villages where they
built dorms, schools, post of
fices, libraries, and churches.
The Crossroaders were divided
into small groups and worked
side-by-side with African vil
lagers. Each followed a similar
daily routine of waking up
early in the morning and work
ing until early afternoon.
The girls found that the
people of Beforo and Bechem,
for example, were farmers
and grew mostly peanuts,
corn, and rice. Their homes
were either mud or brightly
colored abodes with imported
furniture. They ate peanut
soup, yams, (a type of long
white potato) and dried fish.
Fresh meal could not be kept
since no refrigeration was
no running water so the peo
ple collected the water from
a river or bought it from stores.
The schools of Beforo were
found to be more advanced
because upon completing six
years of high school one could
go on to a college where work
was done only on the major
with no requirements. At the
end of four years of college
one exam is given covering the
entire period of study.
To read about Africa and
Africans and to have that ex
perience come to life is an
overwhelming discovery. The
Crossroaders agree with Rev
erend Robinson when he
states, “Ink and paper cannot
capture the fuel of a warm
handshake or the glow of satis
faction when two intellects
connect.” One Crossroader,
Andrella Bunyan, said, “I now
have a better understanding of
what Africa is truly like and
a deeper appreciation of their
culture. I wish more Spelman
students would go. There is so
much interest in Africa now
and ‘Crossroads’ is a good op
portunity to see what it is all
about.”
Another Crossroader, Mary
Hatcher, when asked what her
most thrilling experience was
replied, “When we arrived at
the village, an old chief had
just arrived, and there is a
custom to chop off the heads
of five strangers. Since we had
just died, and there. is a
certain old villagers who still
clung to some old traditions,
we were warned to stay in our
dorms at night. The body was
displayed beautifully for three
days, but each day the smell
got stronger.”
This year marks the tenth
anniversary of the Operation
Crossroads Africa project. It
was started in 1958 by Dr.
James H. Robinson, a Negro.
His idea was to “gather se
lected groups of American and
Canadian college students of
varied backgrounds, then
transport them to Africa where
they might work, study, live,
and play with Africans of
equivalent status.”
The Crossroaders were not
in Africa as tourists or mis
sionaries, but as students seek
ing a better understanding of
African culture and ideas.
From India to You
Spelmanite Jackie Howard is now participating in a Junior
Year Abroad Program in Madras, India.
Dear Nunbur:
If a person had predicted a year ago that I would be
comfortably sitting in India or any foreign country I would
have laughed with amusement and pity at such a ridiculous
prophecy. Yet, here I am happily talking to the mosquitoes
and learning Tamil.
When I left New York my mind contained one phrase,
“How can I leave my Mother?” Now those thoughts have
been modified and I think, “What a great time I’ll have telling
and reliving my experiences since June 16.” I arrived in Bom
bay just full of apprehensions. How could I live in such a hot
and dry climate with strange people whom I could not under
stand? It never occurred to me that the intense heat that I felt
was caused by the change in climates and water. I seemingly
forgot about the summers in Arkansas and Georgia! I was
shocked later to realize that my friends found my southern
accent very odd but after a while we were imitating each
other.
Before leaving the States I had read many articles about
India in the past and present. From these articles and dis
cussions with others I had formulated a very vivid picture of
life in India. Out of shame and realization of my over-worked
imagination I dare not tell the things I visioned. However,
I will say that I have learned an important lesson because of
one-sided and biased opinions. While in Bombay I saw many
parts of the city and was introduced to the poverty in India.
There is poverty in India but it is different from the idea of
poverty that we have in the States. One of my teachers has
said that poverty, as defined by Indians, is different because
of the devaluation of the rupee. Today a high middle class
income is roughly $1,000 rupees or $133.00 a month in U. S.
currency. In contrast to that an income in India which is
above the income standard, would be considered in the poverty
range in the States.
Psychologically, we from the West seem to suffer more
from seeing people live in the huts and eat rice than those
living in India. It is difficult to understand that many of the
people lack some of our comforts and conventional necessities
and yet, are full of life.
To us, a car, telephone, television, refrigerator, and radios
are essentials and if we lack these simple conveniences our
lives are impaired, but in India different essentials exist for
a majority of the people. If there is enough rice for the family,
the children reasonably nourished, and a wage of ten rupees
weekly, there is happiness' and contentment in the home.
You must excuse my inability to Express my thoughts and
reactions, but poverty as I have always understood it is very
foreign to what I have experienced and 1 even hesitate to call
what I have seen poverty because of the meaning it implies
in our minds. I hope later to be able to accurately describe
the economic differences between the rich and poor.
Although the economic conditions in India have been the
greatest things to disturb me, other things have annoyed me.
The plane landed in London, Prague, Rome, and Teheran
and as we became closer to the East people seemed to stare
more and more. Another American student and I noticed this
but we were excited and had little time to think of this at
tention. After arriving in Madras we realized that people
openly stared at us and were not ashamed to be seen doing
so. To see someone riding a bicycle but turned to watch us
has told Eleanor and me that we are indeed foreigners. We
are hurt most of all because those that stare do not do it
because of our charm and beauty, as we had hoped.
My first taste of India food was similar to a lighted match
sliding down my throat. At Women’s Christian College we
have meals at 8, 12, and 7 o’clock with tea at 4. I used to
dread these times because I found the food unbearably hot.
I stopped using a fan for the heat and began to use it for the
food going down my throat but after six weeks I can see how
foolish my actions were to those who found the food mild.
I am happy to state that I can eat some of the food without
drinking quarts of water and that I can appreciate the distinct
taste of curry that adds a delicious zest to my food. 1 confess
that I am taking western food but my friends sneak me Indian
grub at meals. I have gained four pounds.
Adutha kadithathil vikaki eluthukiran!
Vannukum,
Jackie
P.S. Be alert for Tamil words!
