13. 12. Zazou, Nouakchott, Mauretania

We were supposed to meet Martial at his office, but even though we had a city map, we were not able to find it and crisscrossed Nouakchott widely.

2 hours late we finally arrived, and he brought us to the factory, where about 8 women and 2 men were employed to shred and clean plastic for selling to big recycling companies. When we arrived, a delegation of graceful, well-dressed women welcomed us, introducing themselves as director and communicator of the organisation.

We gave them some plastic recycling prototypes from a Viennese company, who brought them to Graz for our journey. They discussed them intensely.

Then they introduced us to the workers by starting to chant and dance with them, and after this, Diagana Khoumbane, directrice of the company explained their philosophy and working processes. She talked quite experienced, and it turned out, that „arte“ had been here before. Khoumbane started to work at “Zazou” as accountant. It is the company´s policy to educate the women working there in order to give them leading positions.

After the factory, we went further into the slums, to find 2 women working in a tent. They are collecting the plastic and cutting it afterwards with knifes and saws to prepare it for the shredder in the factory. This is real hard work, and Igor developed a device to make it easier for them.

Many of the women we talked with were divorced several times. For each marriage, they get bride money, so marrying is quite a good deal. After a few divorces, you have a good life, I was told. And when you earn your own money, the family can afford the “butter on your bread”.

I asked one of the women, if her husband was proud of her earning her own money. She looked a bit disturbed and shook her head. „Yes, her husband is very proud, because she earns her own money and at the same time cleans the environment“, translated the communicator.

In Mauretania you really feel like being in „God´s own country“: mosques and speakers everywhere, 5 times a day Allah surround. In Nouahdibou there were even prayers after the muezzin´s call, out of all speakers which were at every corner.

We suspected, that the life of women must be quite restricted. They always hide behind their hundreds of shawls, and some of them only show their eyes. This seems to be enough for flirting, though – the men of our group noticed.

In Mauretania, women are much more educated then men, there are 70% of women on the universities. There are female ministers, managers, directors, business women... When they are married, they have lots of freedom, a woman told Stefan and Igor. We also saw quite some women out at night without men.

After the interviews it was too late to start our trip on the „Route de l´Espoire“ or „Route des Cadavres“, which should take us to Mali. It was too dangerous to stay in the surrounding of Nouakchott over night, and driving at night was anyway taboo in this country of police controls: too much danger to get caught by fake policemen and robbed.

Martial and Sofie invited us to stay at their place, and this was perfect – thank you so much for everything, dears!