Further Reading



The Third Goal of Peace Corps is to improve awareness of our host country cultures and histories among Americans. It's been my primary reason for writing on my blog. What I've shared with my readers, however, is limited. My posts have been but windows into the much larger building of my experiences as a Volunteer. These views are also mine alone; every Volunteer has their unique experiences. At another level, there's so much about life in Benin that I'm unfamiliar with, unaware of, or difficult to explain by myself. With all this in mind, I've compiled a list of blogs, articles, and other media that will dig deeper and wider than I have/can. Some are Volunteer written, others discuss Beninese current events, and a few provide perspectives on cultural (mis)understanding. Please read, learn, and enjoy.




Volunteer Blogs

Chizoba Ezenwa is a fellow agriculture Volunteer who lives in the north. Learn about a different part of Benin through Chizoba's excellent, award-winning storytelling: https://cezenwa1.wixsite.com/bnblog


Abby Reilly also has a way with words. She was an education Volunteer in the north and wrote informative pieces on the classroom and the impact of education: https://thebeninchapter.wordpress.com/blog/


Finally, Timmy Herschel-Burns wrote three extraordinary essays on the realities of those living on $2 a-day or less, thinking about inequality globally, and doing what you can to alleviate poverty and inequality.




Current Events

After 30 years of remarkable stability, Beninese politics has recently been turbulent. I endorse no perspectives on Beninese politics and share these articles merely as reputable news: The Atlantic and Al Jazeera.



Interested in photos? Learn about the illicit petroleum trade between Nigeria and Benin/Togo. Nigeria produces more oil than either Qatar or Venezuela, and countless gallons make their way to roadside glass bottles in neighborhoods like mine through the informal sector.


Baobab trees dot the Beninese countryside and are held in high esteem throughout Africa. Here's a story about their mysterious dying out, likely resulting from climate change.



Culture
A common practice in Benin is the scarification of the face, arms, or body. Scars are made and worn like tattoos for various reasons, often linked to ethnicity, experience, and cultural history. Learn more about scarification in Benin here and hear firsthand thoughts about the general practice here.

 Fashion! Beninese fabrics and fashion prove a beautiful and diverse array of artistry and expression. Read about a fashion innovator here, and "shop" around with Vlisco, Benin's premier fabric designer.


Perspective
It gets off to a confusing start, but the essay "Unlearning the myth of American innocence" is a powerful indictment of the ways Americans misunderstand their place in the world and the implicit double standards they force on others.

Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TED talk on "The Danger of a Single Story" argues that stereotypes aren't always problematic because they're wrong, it's just that they're woefully incomplete.


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