COURTESY PHOTO -- Morgan Johnson Miller and Johnson documented life in the Savi plantation, a palm cooperative in Benin.

Journey to Africa

By Lindsay Moroney
Flat Hat Asst. Variety Editor

The two Monroe Scholars were on a plane to Benin, a small country near the west coast of Africa, when it hit them; they had no idea what lay ahead, or even what would be expected of them.

Seniors Katy Miller and Morgan Johnson were determined to use their Monroe project money to take "once in a lifetime chances," according to Miller. All they knew was that they wanted to create a documentary to study self-empowerment in Africa.

Before leaving, Miller and Johnson each submitted a proposal for the use of their Monroe grants. Miller, a film minor, wanted a chance to use her cinematography skills. The two chose Africa because Johnson's uncle, Jeff Felten, works for Appropriate Technologies International (ATI) in the city of Contonou in Benin. ATI works to boost local economies by making rural communities more efficient.

Miller and Johnson would be documenting ATI's work in Savi, a palm cooperative. Benin has several cooperatives, plantations owned by several people that produce palm oil. ATI chose the Savi plantation, located in the rural town of Ouidah, because it is the only one completely owned and operated by the workers.

There are 34 palm plantations in Benin and the republic government owns 33 of them, either directly or indirectly. The company encouraged the workers of the cooperative to invest in hybrid palm trees that produce more palm oil and to modernize with machinery, such as a palm press that makes the process more cost effective. Felten and ATI will use the 24-minute documentary as a promotional video for the company to encourage investors and the local people to take a worthwhile chance in the company.

Her experience with film allowed Miller to take on the role of director and editor of the production. Johnson primarily filmed the shots and helped with the sound editing. The two documented the improvements the cooperative has experienced.

Johnson and Miller spent the first week observing their new surroundings. As the students lived and worked side by side with the native people they learned and documented a world they found surprisingly similar to their own.

"It's hard to articulate," Miller said, "but I had many misconceptions about Africa. Many assume that it is all starving children and big animals but it is much more similar to the United States than I'd imagined. It is democratic and the standard of living is higher than I'd thought."

Johnson felt much the same way.

"They were really hard working people," Johnson said. "The country was more industrialized than I'd expected. People had cars and cell phones. There is significant poverty, but not like you watch on TV."

Both students were amazed that people of the rural villages were not at all familiar with white people.

"In the cities there might be a European dignitary ... or a few Peace Corps workers," Johnson said. "But in the towns there are no non-Africans."

Miller also noticed the significant cultural differences.

"Children called us yaavos, which means the inside of a banana peel and they sung a song as we walked by," she said. "I saw the world from the perspective of the minority and I learned that Africa is not some pit of horror or jungle, but similar to the Caribbean. I learned to be more open-minded."

From their tiny house in a compound, Miller and Johnson began their project and lived what Miller termed "the experience of a lifetime." Facing the difficulty of not knowing the language and a contrasting culture, without the help of modern conveniences was life changing.

"I began to see how unnecessary all those things really are," Miller said. "It was nice to escape materialism. The toughest part, however, was that they speak French in Benin and Fon, a rural dialect, in the town of Ouidah, so we hired a translator named Martine de Sousa who thankfully spoke English, French and Fon."

The pair touched the lives of those they met.

"Our translator was inspired by our work and wants to start her own plantation which will help the local economy," Johnson said. "I'm so pleased to see the little things we do make a difference."

Miller and Johnson's final project will be displayed at the Monroe Project Fair and Miller hopes to have a showing of the film on campus.

"Many around campus believe that Monroes get this money and it's a joke to them," Johnson said. "People think we just take it and tour around Europe. But I'm glad that's not what we did. I encourage future Monroes to use the money for something worthwhile because it may be the only chance you'll ever have to do something like this."