Summary
Highlights
The video opens depicting the arduous life in rural Guinea-Conakry, where heavy rain washes away the hopes of shopkeepers and makes travel difficult. Aisha, a ten-year-old girl, sells sandals in the market to support her family, dreaming of becoming a rich doctor. The country is rich in natural resources like bauxite, iron, gold, and diamonds, but these are largely under-exploited, leaving over half of the population living on less than €1 a day. Roads are treacherous, especially during the rainy season, turning journeys into ordeals.
Mamady Kante runs a family transport business, employing his 15 children during their school holidays. He believes a man's worth is measured on the road, and his family faces adventurous journeys. They have to cover 140 kilometers to Koyamah on the Liberian border. The initial kilometers are challenging due to narrow roads and overgrown vegetation, which often cause accidents. After 50 kilometers, the tarmac gives way to dirt tracks, posing significant obstacles like getting stuck in the mud, which requires collective effort from his sons and passengers to overcome.
Mamadou, a farmer, lives a double life, with one wife and farm on a plateau and another at the foot of an 800-meter cliff. He risks his life weekly, descending treacherous century-old wooden ladders, known as the 'Ladders of Fortune,' to reach his other family and fields. This dangerous journey, which can take three hours, is his only quick and affordable way to commute between his families, avoiding a four-hour drive. The ladders have a history of tragic accidents, underscoring the risks involved.
Beyond the physical dangers of the ladders, Mamadou faces threats from deadly black snakes in his rice fields. The region suffers from a severe lack of adequate healthcare facilities and doctors. Even basic amenities like running water are absent, with health centers lacking even the bare minimum. The country, despite being nicknamed the 'Water Tower' due to its numerous rivers, experiences frequent water cuts in the capital due to aging infrastructure and widespread corruption.
Alasan, a driver with a 29-year-old car, transports water tanks over 155 kilometers on roads riddled with potholes. He blames state mismanagement for the poor road conditions. His journey is fraught with mechanical issues and requires passengers to help, reflecting a communal spirit. Along the way, he encounters children as young as seven repairing the roads for meager earnings, highlighting the prevalence of child labor due to poverty. Many parents send their children to work to learn a trade and contribute to family income, as school, though free, does not guarantee work.
Mamady, his sons, and passengers spend hours attempting to free their truck from a large hole in the road. Rice husks and sand are used to provide traction, demonstrating ingenuity in the face of adversity. This continuous struggle reinforces his children's desire to pursue education, particularly mathematics, instead of taking over the family business. They aspire to a life less arduous than their father's.
Makanbo harvests palm nuts from 15-meter-high trees, a dangerous task, to produce palm oil. Ujjain, a wholesaler, buys 200 liters of this oil to make black soap and candles. His journey to his village is fraught with poor road conditions, and he faces a significant setback when a can punctures, leading to the loss of oil and a dispute over the cost of the damaged container. This incident highlights how a small financial loss can devastate an entire family's economic balance in these impoverished regions.
After seven hours of struggle, Mamady's truck is finally pulled out of the mud by another driver, showcasing solidarity. An abandoned bulldozer meant for road reconstruction symbolizes the country's corruption. Despite the hardships caused by rain and bad roads, Mamady appreciates the rain for its benefits to crops and life. Drivers like Alasan meticulously maintain their vehicles to survive. Mamady's family worries about his health as the physically demanding life takes its toll, but his 15 children depend on him. Ultimately, the new generation, inspired by their parents' struggles, is turning to education as a path to a better and more prosperous future for Guinea-Conakry.