America's African heritage; 13 And 14
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The National Association of educational broadcasters prisms America's African heritage recorded in Africa by Skype Westfall program 13 lending out broadband up there is kept Westfall so far on this trip. We've been interviewing one mean the many passengers aboard our riverboat as we move slowly up the Congo River. Today we're going to talk with one of the women passengers here name in the Florida and have you been enjoying the trip Mr. developer. Yes the ship they bless them but they're you know quite hot. What is your destination Madison nation did he go mouthing me thanking me and your husband is employed there looking at me as Sean Bell's dentist that again you have two children don't you. Yes I have two children. We stay in the little yellow with the five year old and fat free you know where they both born in Africa only three feet. She was born in Ujiji.
Every place said a place where their name meant leaving the unnamed 18 and he won. There's a famous tree there under which then we might live Yeah that Biden days the memo the other day and now I think your children are very sweet. Thank you. Unfriendly to I've been unable to talk much with them. My French is not so good but they always have a pleasant smile for me when I meet them on the deck. Have you found this is the world or that it is any more difficult raising a family in Africa than it is in Belgium. Well I don't think so. And to my opinion it is yet to read offend enough to get an invention. Well aren't there more diseases in Africa that the children might be subject to. I don't think today than in the DCU in that we get any invention you know it can live here and your children have malaria. Yet they both ended up in a quite serious. It was in to say that you know because they would think they have been taking the pills right believe they take good care that they are going to leave that there.
We're back in my country when we think of as we used to think of snakes. Do you feel there is much danger to your children from snakebite. Well they're both naked and in my country you know but I don't think they really match tangible to China because I think snakes out then we are you know and I have been away asininity and you have an African woman taking care of your children. I have a yeah yeah. The chicken korma. And she's very good. You you think that she senses danger. Yes I think he senses danger. Well much we get and we do. How many African workers do you have helping about what I think. I think I think about the house but I think it's because to have the baby and we've got to entertain quite a lot you know you have you have a cook in the house.
I have two house boys and men being in the kitchen. Then a young man would have to learn and God and they and the children like oh I don't want to. Oh yes it should look like a bed sheet and there have to be. Oh yeah that effect had it to get back to here. You mention the gardener. Do you mind my asking what the usual rate of pay is for the gardener Well it's about fishing line that would be about $7 a month. The other workers get more pay yet they get about a hundred can not be the gardeners work is a sort of Oh I think it's a joke you know the fans most of the time sitting in the shade. Well I should think fifty shillings a month would be pretty good pay for sitting in the shade. What would you say is the average number of workers that were employed in the home. What time I should say we did.
Yeah you know those the government sets the rate of pay for servants I don't think you really you know that to when we do what other people do then. You miss out on the customer. Yes a good part of the country you're living in. Do you like living in ten can you get better than in Belgium. I like it then that much. At any rate on here you find right very interesting piece quite interesting you know that I think a woman. National to do something you know what I mean some sewing of doubting on something and then I suppose supervising your household takes quite a bit of your time. It takes courage to be happy and it's nighttime you know because otherwise when you when you don't have that you know they didn't do enough things right. Well it's been nice talking to you Mrs. Duvall are the best of luck to you and your husband and your family in your adopted land and you're going to thank you bet that a
revote has now reached the point of the ban on the Kasai river in this area is located the largest oil confrontation in the southern part of the bosun come this is one of the 11 plantations operated in the Congo by the bosun company remarried to Congo before my departure from there for their own five days ago. Officials at the head office made arrangements for a representative from the plantation to both provide accommodation for a two day visit here and conduct me on a tour of the plantation the winery Dukan the bellows has been moved to company and I appreciate their cooperation in helping me to get the column story. When I stepped off the boat I was met by Mr. Wong the grave have on it a planter at the riband that plantation are sitting now in the shade of a palm tree overlooking the beautiful valley advocacy side I think the best way to get into this story is to ask Mr. on this a few questions
How long have you lived in the Congo. I've been here 11 years now. You have over from England. Yes I came out in 1947. Do you have a family. Yeah I'm living here with my wife and I have. Also moved off and we have also another daughter in England. There's no doubt that aren't there sufficient educational facilities yet in their excellent facilities here in the Congo and the the difference is of course that the curriculum is Continental which makes a great difficulty for us because the children after all strange children must be absolutely professions in the written by the French before they can stuff that I can understand that life certainly one of the greatest hardships about this kind of life being separated from your children but yet long periods of time. If it's true. Now to get into the car more hours Daryn perhaps we should
begin with a question concerning the ways in which Connor in his youth. Well from a technical point of view I don't know a great deal about the give but I do know this salient feature in the far side of them of palm oil being shipped to the United States and this oil they use primarily in the manufacture of steel being used I think in the rally and also in the past oil and oil oil would do the palm oil in the manufacture of soaps and secondly the oil. Margarine and cooking that really here recently. This is big stuff about vast quantities still shipped to Europe the most especially when the main use of the oil in the United States is in the manufacture of steel.
How large of a plantation here. Well you can see right across the other side of the Psyop on the other side of the hill. We have an area of 5000 hectares. What would that be and acres of that represents approximately twelve thousand five hundred thirteen thousand acres. Now would you describe for us the procedure which is followed when this kind of an operation is set up. Though if we go into all the technical details taken over a long time. Briefly when a project of this sort is a man team of specialists have sent out to a proposed area and commence to go systematically Oh that the salient features actually in this work is first the Apocrypha the amount of organic material that is carried on the land. The soil structure the chemical makeup of the soil and finally of course
the availability or close proximity to trees of export and finally the amount of rainfall we have. Yeah which means nothing less than 40 inches. Yes you always take soil samples before you begin another a full length after the seed has been planted. What happens from there. Well we plant the seed would germinate if it's transferred into play naturally beds with space for about three months into the about six inches high. Then we transfer it into an X-ray which is situated on the roof by the plantation area and from there it is slanted in the plantation. What is the approximate height of the tree when it commences cropping it to varies but generally is somewhere between 10 and 15 feet
high and does the tree grow eventually with James in the plantation. Generally up to 25 metres but specimens have and have been you know quite often actually which grow to a height of 35 to 40 meters 35 meters that's at over 100 feet higher than it gets but for now one of the question about the clearing of the land is the land cleared completely before you begin planning. No no. We follow a rigid conservation policy and we leave all foreign trees and every bit of Ogoni material on them. Then and then the palm trees are planted between the logs you might say that's on now as I understand it the palm fruit is located at the top of the tree. Yes that's true. The farm produces its regime old bunch of fruit between the last found from one of the farm fruit actually looks by both ends of the of the said
liver if you think of a very very large bunch of plums closely packed together. That's about the best description of this thing and how large is the clump of the bunch of fruit. Well that's very nice but generally an average in foundation a bunch would full would fill a full gallon bucket but they do grow my lawyer very much bigger Yes you can have some caves in there which were 100 pounds for instance they would go into a just fit into a bushel basket. And then after the Native the primer chops the a crumb from the top of the tree and it's carried to the road and transport outside in such gutter he case he has a cup of baskets while the Chinese fashion like a coolie and he transports his food out to the roadside where it's collected by trucks. Now would you give us just a little description as to how how the crime or actually performs his job.
Yes well it's nothing very special about it. He uses what we call a Leon from the climbing plant from the forest which is very very tough and he attaches to it a part of a palm leaf which is a flat part of the rip. He nuts this into us into a belt which is toward tension purposes the same as a safety belt used by the linesman telephones. Well then he uses the his feet. It was placed on the face of all problems which affect off about six inches from from the film itself which acts to steps in cooperation with his safety belt he leaves himself a tree and there are crowds coverage to discover that this business of climbing and yes it's quite a skillful job altogether. Well I can see Mr. English by the way our time is slipping away that we won't be able to finish our story today this afternoon if it's convenient for you to take a trip
through the plantation and get some recordings. Yes I'll do what I can to give the office to know that fine. And then on our next program we'll get some of the interesting atmosphere you will find on an oil palm plantation in those income. This has been programmed 13 of America's African heritage. These programs we do recordings made by world traveler skip West while on a recent trip to Africa the series is made possible by a grant who made two radio station WOIO it was State College from the Educational Television and Radio Center. Production is under the direction of Normandy queery. This is regularly speaking for the National Association of educational broadcasters. This is the end EBD Radio Network. The National Association of educational broadcasters presents America's African
heritage recorded in Africa by Skip Westfall program 14 with their broad band of oil palm plantations. Here is Skip Westfall. We are speaking today from an oil palm plantation in Rwanda and of those in common. It's 5:30 in the morning and our tape recorder is set up at a crossroads in front of the company. Good Lord William Hung from the limb of a tree nearby as a huge groan this drum serves as the plantation alarm clock as the workers have no clocks or watches. The drummer is beating out a message which says the rooster is growing. Time to get up and time to get up. In case some of the sleepy at seven heard this drum alarm clock. The drummer will follow it up with the ringing of the gong.
A. Several minutes of now passed since the call to get up has gone out and the men are beginning to assemble on the road in front of the company headquarters. It's still quite dark. In fact I have to use a flashlight to manipulate my tape recorder. There are about 50 men lined up no and the foreman is ready to call Iraq. Why do it because it's not my home with us but it was a good laugh. There you go. Look I've been doing my thing with my left eye and one of my own. Now the roll call has been made and the men are ready to begin the day's work. Some of them are starting out with their knives and baskets together the palm fruit. They are the tree climbers. Another group is called the weed cutters. Their job is to cut the weeds
and brush from the tween the trees. These men accompany the rhythm of their work with the rhythm of a song. Mr. Ahmed was one of them. Was acting as a guide standing beside me. Perhaps you can give us the translation. Yes it's quite simple. There's talk about this oh this work is at its heart. We have reached the Oh My My My My My My My. I suppose we would say mother this work is hard. I don't wonder they think it's hard work. They go about their job they really mean that. In fact I'm surprised that they have enough energy to sing in our efforts.
This job required it seems to be a habit amongst all the Bantu races on every occasion especially when they've got a task to do. Working together always a certain amount of singing doesn't make the job easier. Now there's this cutting of the underbrush you have to be done very often about once a year depending on the height of the. Bush and the path how often is that more important texture that we have to keep it open because to pass and to get the freak out can be a criminal and we do it about four years or more times a year. We don't seem to hear anything from the boys over there who are climbing the trees and that's a rather different proposition. He needs all of his faculties to make sure that he doesn't pull the tree and I can understand that. Let's move over a bit closer to one of these palm trees and see if we can get a recording of the sound of the mash it as they chop the fruit from the tree.
When you were made to be the height of that dream. Well that was in the region of 30 feet. That's the average height of this station. But of course with all the fun I suppose there isn't too much money a lot more and I'm free to go green if he's really skilled at the job. Well no we're not going to go on the rise with some people. Less careful of what they're doing. Anyway we always introduce. Methods to ensure there's no accidents like inspecting the safety belts every morning and stopping them climbing when there's any moisture on the trees.
However. You have a number of accidents occasionally for instance one of my best practice one day was generally very careful in his work accidentally cut through his. Belt and did a double somersault effect with the skills. Tragic. Well I don't like to be continually bringing up this unpleasant subject but gives me the creeps to see that underbrush grow and growing so near the path it's a good hiding place for snakes isn't it. It has its effect. There are quite a number of snakes here we have a black member of course member also as creationist seen the worst and most venomous snake is own by the by. Fatal. Yes it is no serum work no. And you haven't any of your workers have been bitten by the horned viper. Yes we had one
a little while ago actually but he's now back at work so I could work. I understood you to say the bite of the horned Viper was always fatal. Yes it's true that in this case it was rather fortunate. It would appear that the Cocker was going along to Hooters to get the fruit off one tree one of the vipers was lying on the side of the dead stuff which had to say calories in this case of course the cutter notices on his way past the stump. Struck that fortunately it appears that his venom was injected into the stump. The. Cutter he struck a second time and it was then that he felt it and rushed him off to hospital gave him an injection of serum and he recovered afterwards. Concluded that he was at the time when the snake had no more venom in this thing and that was
certainly a lucky break. I noticed on our trip yesterday that you have a modern up to date hospital here for banter. Yes one of the requirements in all our plantations with fairly large modern up to date hospital with modern equip you have X-ray read. So so for how many beds but this one had about 300. Understand your doctor has quite a reputation here. Yes this fellow his name is Dr Correa he came from Belgium about 12 years ago and these are the terrific experience of the natives and the natives call him actually ducky. What does that mean. Need is the magic doctor. He's become so famous that we have natives coming in from up to 200 or 300 miles away. How do they travel. Well it's pretty rough going for them but usually transported in slings
made of blankets slung on poles and brought in by friends with relatives. See there. That's quite a distance to travel. Carrying the patients. Yes it is and I wish it were possible for us to spend a couple of hours describing the activity which goes on here in the palm groves instead of 40 minutes. However we do want to get a glimpse into the factory operation down by the river. So our next recording will come to you from the palm oil mill in front of the lake. Ya when you get away from noise and Mr. Unger's Could you give us in about one minute description of how the palm fruit is processed.
Oh that's a bit quick. Well first of all of the trucks bring the bunches of fruit into the million and that dumped onto a ramp from there that dumped into trucks which are pushed into sterilizes and sterilized or precooked under high pressure then taken out of there and taken by an overhead crane which dips the fruit into a strip of. From here it's passed down into kms which take it along. Finally two presses which press out the oil. Later on it's all it's conveyed to the machine which strips the fiber from the nuts in the shell with the fibers than to the boy. She was not in its shell is then taken to another machine which cracks the shell separates and the shell of the boilers and bags of the oil.
This there is some truth to settling tanks and finally some long line pipes. Thought is waiting. Well you've certainly given us the story in a nutshell. It's getting along toward evening now and there's one phase of life on the plantation that we can't afford to miss. A native dance. Do you think the boys will be dancing tonight. Oh there's every chance that they will be. I believe this is this season there's work to be equal to the harvest moon we have a moon which will produce brightness of day almost every reason to believe that nature down the drain. They need the moon for their dancing. Well good we hope we'll be able to conclude our program tonight with the sound of the ground. Warming up.
I AM
I AM I AM I AM I AM I AM I AM. This has been programmed 14 of Americas African heritage. These programs feature recordings made by world traveler skip Westfall on a recent trip to Africa. The series is made possible by a grant in aid to radio station WOIO Iowa State
College from the educational television and radio Center's production is under the direction of Norman B quivery. This is Reggae is he speaking for the National Association of educational broadcasters. This is the end of the Radio Network.
- Series
- America's African heritage
- Episode Number
- 13 And 14
- Contributing Organization
- University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland)
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- cpb-aacip/500-4q7qsc5n
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- Description
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- Topics
- History
- Race and Ethnicity
- Media type
- Sound
- Duration
- 00:29:35
- Credits
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University of Maryland
Identifier: 4899 (University of Maryland)
Format: 1/4 inch audio tape
Duration: 00:30:00?
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- Citations
- Chicago: “America's African heritage; 13 And 14,” University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed September 8, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-4q7qsc5n.
- MLA: “America's African heritage; 13 And 14.” University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. September 8, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-4q7qsc5n>.
- APA: America's African heritage; 13 And 14. Boston, MA: University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-4q7qsc5n