Portfolios of the Poor
A major misconception many Americans have of the global poor (and poor Americans for that matter) is that they are listless, lazy, and lacking creativity. The reality is that the poor often work long hours -as they do in the United States,-or work many jobs and play many roles -as they do here in Benin. Nothing highlights this point more than my recent observations and work at site. I'll start with the corn harvest. Farmers sowed corn back in April/May and now hustle home every night with the day's worth of harvest. They promptly strip the ears and thump their thumbs at the kernels, which are then sifted, dried, and stored before milling. Corn is the primary food crop of Lac Ah ém é as it is eaten at nearly every meal in the form of boiled dough, or p â te (which I wrote about in an earlier post ). Nearly every household has its small 1-2 hectare field somewhere within walking distance of their home, and chances are they grow at least a little -if not a lot of- corn. Each