Benin seemed so full of young people. The average age of people here is only 18 (vs. 38 for the US). Child mortality is high – about 15% of kids under the age of 5 will die (vs. .02% in the US).
There is an inverse correlation between wealth and birth rates: poorer countries have a higher birth rate than wealthier countries. Development leads to lower birth rates, presumably because wealthier nations have better healthcare and food supply, reducing infant and childhood mortality and increasing life expectancy.
Having said that, although they are poor, these kids were happy. Truly happy with a strong social network.
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- Egged on by a local dancer, I joined her on the “dance floor”. That’s a voodoo spirit kind of whirling dervish in front of us.
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- Mama dancing hard, including jumping, without waking her baby.
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- These two little girls were really working the elbows up and down.
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- Getting my groove on – and burning some serious calories.
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- Mike getting down! You can see how much the local tribe is laughing their heads off.
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- Yes, she’s happy. We didn’t hear ANY kids whining or crying.
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- Mike lifted one little boy over his head, and had a line of ten little boys in seconds.
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- The future of Africa. She’s holding a circuit board.
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- The wonder of rain, after months of draught.
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- Confidence. This boy in the front will be a leader.
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- Dancing at a raucous church service. No Sunday school here – the kids are in da house!
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- Babies with babies. We saw many older siblings carrying little ones.
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- Their colorful cloths are exploding with joyful patterns. So different from how kids in the US would dress at that age.
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- That little guy in the front isn’t too sure about me yet.
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- Full of moxie, this character on the left.
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- No Toys “R” Us here. A stick, a tire tube, and some imagination.
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- It’s easy to entertain kids when an iPhone is a novelty. Their village doesn’t even have mirrors, so they were curious to see themselves.
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- A blanket on sand. No crib, no pacifier, no fussing at all.
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- So friendly! A spontaneous goodbye.
