An Introduction to Abidjan

Sarah at work

I’ve been in Abidjan for about three days now. My plane touched down on Sunday at noon. Within an hour, I was at the house of Search for Common Ground’s Country Director in Côte d’Ivoire, sitting at her dining room table and trying to force my tired brain into alertness. Spès Manirakiza is the sort of person who gives the impression of constant vigilance, always ready with questions and comments. As she uncovered plates of food for lunch, she looked at me and smiled, “So, you are the girl behind all those e-mails.” I could feel myself blushing, thinking about every e-mail I’d sent asking about the security situation in Côte d’Ivoire. “I could feel that you were nervous,” she said, adding, “I asked myself who is this Sarah? I was laughing at you.” She didn’t say this unkindly, just as an amusing observation. I smiled back and looked around, marveling at the contrast between all the travel advisory warnings my mother was sure to send me and the cheerful interior of Spès’ house.

The contrast between my previous perceptions and reality has only widened over the past few days. Everyone I have met, from SFCG staff to people on the street, have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome and at ease. Although I have yet to travel outside of Abidjan, so far I feel silly over my high level of pre-departure anxiety. You’d think I’d have learned my lesson by now: Côte d’Ivoire will be the third country in Africa I’ve travelled to (previously, I’ve visited Sierra Leone and just spent a semester abroad in Yaoundé, Cameroon). Yet, the difference between Western conceptions of Africa and Africa itself continues to amaze.

During my first few days in the Abidjan office, I’ve been busy familiarizing myself with the various radio programs produced by SFCG in Côte d’Ivoire.  I will be conducting specific case studies on the programs Unis dans Nos Differences and Passerelle. Unis dans Nos Differences is a weekly emission which broadcasts success stories from community leaders throughout the country as they work toward reconciliation and increased social cohesion. Passerelle (the French word for bridge), is a weekly program which strives to create bridges between traditional mechanisms for conflict resolution and modern techniques.

I have also familiarized myself with Dignite des Femmes, a radio program which shares women’s initiatives in conflict resolution; Woro Woro Tour, a lively program which follows the adventures and misadventures of a share-taxi driver as he and his passengers discuss relevant issues of the day; and Synergie, a program developed in partnership with radio stations throughout the country to discuss current issues relevant to the peace process. After a few days of listening, taking notes, and discussing behind-the-scenes aspects with SFCG staff, I am amazed at the scope of the media work in Côte d’Ivoire. I also have a greater appreciation for just how steep the learning curve will be as I work to develop my case studies. Tomorrow I’ll travel to the field office in Daloa, where I will be spending the majority of my time here. I am excited to meet the staff and to get a better feel for how these programs play out on the ground.

When I look at my to-do list, two months seems like a very short amount of time.