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My first tailor A very slow process One of 10,000 workers |
KAKATA ........ All the elementary people left Klay to go to a five week training camp in Kakata with 600 Liberian teachers. The classes were divided up by counties. I was with teachers from Grand Gedeh County and knew all along that I'd be going to Zwedru. The workshop was pretty dull, and the food lousy, but it was a great chance to make Liberian friends before ever arriving in my new home. When classes were over, I lead the parade into Kakata to see what there was to explore. My trainer referred to me as the "pied piper". I quickly found out where anything and everything was available in town. And, it was in Kakata that I met the first of my Liberian tailors, Francis. I could not resist Vai shirts. Firestone had the largest rubber plantation in the world (according to its sign). Another volunteer and I had an exclusive tour by two Liberians who taught on the plantation. It was absolutely huge! There were 10,000 employees split up in 40 communities. They averaged $2.00 a day which was low even by Liberian standards. After all I saw, I decided never to buy Firestone products again. We saw the people tap rubber. I got to do it, too. I watched them carry two buckets of the sap over their shoulders on a long pole and go to the processing center. No matter where we went, fortunately, we found Coke. I was glad because I was dying of theirs. I even drank some well water -- risking who know what kind of side effects. |
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MARTIN | |||||||
Copyright
1999 by Phillip Martin All rights reserved.
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