The animals of the savanna no longer run
away when they hear this strange sound. The creaking noises of this truck
are known all over Bariba in Benin. Zachary is the unfortunate owner. It is thanks to cotton farming
that I was able to buy this truck. At the time, the cotton fields
were a good way to make money. That being said, the climate has changed. Now, the earth is difficult to cultivate
and it rarely rains. I struggle now. When you don't
have much money it's really hard. From October to January, the north of Benin lives at the pace
of the cotton harvesting. The fiber represents around 40 percent
of the country's exports. For months, rickety trucks travel
the country's roads at their great risk. Cotton is the country's wealth,
but the rural countryside is poor. Huge amounts of water
are required to grow it. We used to draw water from here,
but not anymore. The well has dried up. During the harvest, day and night
Benin revolves around all things cotton. For a week, around 100 drivers have been
hoping to load their trucks with cotton. A never ending wait
without any conveniences or comforts, never being able
to move away from their vehicles. If you leave the truck unattended,
people will come and steal anything. They will steal the diesel
or the battery. How many millions kilometres
did the truck have before? Well, it was used by white people,
no one knows what they did with it. Before giving us the truck,
sometimes they stole the meter. That's my apprentice.
He's here to train to be a driver. Yeah, he's travelling with me. Rahman and his apprentice
transport the bales of cotton which are processed in this factory. They're hoping to load the truck up today,
but there seems to be little hope of that. The factory dates back to the eighties
and so do its safety regulations. In amongst this deafening racket, around 50 factory workers
clean the cotton of its impurities. After waiting for nine days, the eagerly
awaited miracle is finally here. Rahman loads up 24 tonnes of cotton. I'm overseeing the loading, just
to make sure nothing's missing. The driver has to deliver the bales in
less than 24 hours to the Port of Cotonou. The name of the city sounds strangely
like a homage to the precious plant. Far from it,
Cotonou actually means River of Death, just like the road that leads there. Six hundred kilometres at full speed all
the way to the other side of the country. During celebrations,
the Beninese dance the Teke, and when they drive they danced the shake. A dance created for the road
and its endless bumps and turns. You see how it moves up and down. The road's been badly done. There are lots of holes and that
throws us around the cabin. It's only after several kilometres that
Rahman is able to fully start the track. Even beneath all its modern features,
the vehicle has reached the old age of 40. Once he's reached 100 kilometers
an hour, Rahman barely touches the brake. When I beep the horn,
if they haven't moved aside I'll just move to the left
and overtake them. But you never stop? No, not for pedestrians. If they're right
in the middle of the road, I can't stop. To protect myself from accidents,
I have my talisman and I pray. We Africans are always safe. But who protects the pedestrians
and motorcyclists when his truck turns
into a fast moving killing machine, especially considering
that Rahman rarely checks his mirrors. This piece of metal is the iron strapping
holding the fuel tank inside. The fuel tank could come off at any moment
exploding all over the road. Ten long kilometers later... It's all good. It very nearly happened. It's still a long way to Cotonou. In Benin, trucks like the Rahman's
are nicknamed titans, a reference to a French military truck
from the forties, which transported
heavy loads at high speeds. Zachary's truck is far from being a titan.
It moves at walking pace. It very rarely goes over
five kilometers an hour. Zachary drives around the scrub
land plantations, loading up the cotton
to take to the factory. The old truck from the sixties
lost its haughtiness long ago, and its engine is not as brave
as it used to be. Why does the truck break down all the time
-It's the fuel pump that breaks. It would cost me 210 euros to change it.
I don't have that kind of money. A DIY solution is much cheaper. What's the container for? The pump isn't pumping the
fuel to the engine anymore. That's why I put the tank here, you see?
Without the tank, the engine can't fuel. By placing the tank high up in the cabin, pressure forces the
petrol down into the engine. Broken again. But the system has its limits. Not again. It's the fifth breakdown this morning. I've lost my spanner. Every few kilometres, Zachary turns into a
human pump to get the fuel flowing again. Before loading up,
the men compress the cotton. During the harvest on each farm,
families lend a hand in the fields. There are no exceptions. We have to make our children
work, whether we like it or not. Without their work, we
couldn't pay for their education. The work is very bad for
their health, they often fall ill. The cotton stems prick us and hurt us. Our parents have a hard life.
They struggle to feed us. It's hard for them to get
enough money for us to live. The children work an
average of 10 hours a day. Before becoming farmers, the Bariba people were
wild warriors engaging in single combat. Today, each loading reawakens
this dormant fighting spirit. The group that can carry the highest
number of 130-kilogram bales wins. Come on, push it quickly. Push the bale of cotton
to the front of the truck. I don't have to be big to lift it. Watch out, they want
to tip the bale onto us. I'll leave as soon as
they stop bickering. The round of the cotton
farms lasts two days. Zachary's truck transports
the clouds of cotton as it moves along. Cotton has become one
of the main sources of wealth for Benin, but for the last few years drought
has reduced the harvest. A nasty surprise awaits Zachary
in the next village. There's a revolt on the farm. Come on, get up. None of the workers
wants to load up the truck. There's nothing Zachary can do.
It's impossible to convince them. However, the men aren't asking for a lot. We've got nothing.
We have no water. Our wives have to go and search for it.
With containers. The owner of the cotton field
hasn't provided enough water for the men. In order to find more,
it's quite an expedition. The well is three kilometres
from the village. It's hard to get water, it's so far away. Because of the lack of water,
the children are always dirty. What's wrong?
There's no water? We used to draw the water from here,
but not today. The water's dried up. The women will have to walk more three
kilometres to the second water source. The drought isn't the only cause of this. Cotton is one of the crops that
consumes the most water in the world. An hour and a half later, the women come
across a black water source. The water is murky and putrid. Pour me some water. The water's not good here. Why?
-It's full of mud. People walk through here with dirty feet. The water's full of bacteria,
it makes you sick. We don't have anything
to purify it with. The women have walked six kilometres
for five bowls and two cans of water. The backwater is far away. We spend time searching for water. And that's why the dishes are dirty
and dinner's not ready on time. I have to hurry up otherwise
my husband will tell me off. Boiled maize flour forms the base of their
sustenance almost all year round. To avoid intestinal problems
caused by the muddy water, the men make a natural medicine. They filter part of the liquid with ash. This makes the water richer in potassium
and it acts as anti diarrhea medicine. Once fed and watered, they sniff a
makeshift drug made of powdered tobacco. I've given you far too much.
You need to take a bit off. So our bodies can help us work quickly. It gives you strength?
-Yes, a lot of strength. The men get back to work,
but it's too late. Zachary will have to spend the
night in the village. Rahman has also spent the night
on the side of the road. To make up for lost time, he speeds
through the villages without ever slowing. The day before,
he wasted lots of time stuck in traffic. As night falls, he's been forced to
stop due to people blocking the road. Highway bandits who strip travellers
of their goods and police checks cost him even more precious time. In order to live, he has to make two
return journeys to Port Cotonou monthly. The bosses sometimes pay
us 120 euros, sometimes 110. The rest I earn on the road. I transport goods for other
customers to make money. He certainly needs the money. Rahman has two children and three wives,
one whom he lives with in town, and the two others live in a village
on the other side of the road. When he passes by, they take the
opportunity to spend time together. This is the mother of my child. If I earn money I can
marry more women. I'm stopping so they can get out here. With his two wives, Rahman has started
a small business reselling coal. You can help me load up the coal. How much is the coal? Two euros 30 cents. The coal will be resold by his wives for
double the price in the villages. Rahman also takes a few bags
to resell in restaurants in Cotonou. It's a bit of extra income, which helps
him provide for his many family members. There you go, that's for the coal. This time, Rahman is hoping to arrive
at the port of Cotonou before nightfall. The sea is still far away,
and his talisman seems to be failing him. Right now I'm going at 50 kilometres
per hour, if I go over that speed, I'll end up in a ditch because
the road isn't well maintained. There are two trucks coming, and
the one on my side has broken down. The driver couldn't control the
truck and the tyres have exploded. But there's a more serious concern. It's dangerous, the truck's
at risk of overturning. Is it going to fall?
-Yes, where we're standing is dangerous. The truck is slowly tipping over,
weighed down by its load of wood, which was displaced during the accident. I'm just measuring to
see if the truck will lift up. In the end, it's the load that saves them. Even if it falls,
the planks of wood will hold it up. We're certain they'll hold it up. As all drivers travel fast,
the big risk is multi-vehicle collisions. This truck was on the road
and caused the accident. It wasn't taken away. If it had been towed away, the road
would have been clear for me to pass. The truck looks fit for the scrap heap,
but knowing all too well, never to be wasteful, the Beninese
have learned to mend and make do. The damage is bad. The trailer has
detached itself and overturned, we'll need a crane to lift it back up. But we'll definately recover this lorry.
We'll use it for transport next month. Just having passed by the accident,
an alarm starts to ring in Rahman's cabin. There's a problem with the pump. There's at least one advantage
of being on this road, the mechanics are never far away. Within 10 minutes,
they arrive with a new pump. On the other side of the road,
the scenes resemble those of a prison. Prisoners of their own poverty, these men and women break down
stone into gravel just to be able to eat. Yarima, who's 25,
works here with her children. When you're in the sun all day,
the next day your body aches. The heat gives you a fever. It's difficult to get water. The water
that comes from the stone isn't drinkable. We drink little sachets of mineral water
that cost 40 cents each, they're expensive. With children, we can
drink up to 20 sachets a day. The gravel is resold
to building contractors. If I manage to fill up a barrel,
I'll earn two euros. My back and hips really hurt,
because this work means, I have to bend down
and get back up constantly. Some Beninese people try to change their
lives by putting faith in higher beings. Voodoo originated
in the heart of the forest through the meeting of the Yoruba gods
and the Fon and you deities. Over centuries, it has become a religion. These women are dancing for their king
and religious leader of the voodoo cult, Daagbo Hounon Houna II. Thanks to voodoo,
the king is able to settle issues. The voodoo spirits
can bring about justice, predict good or bad omens and cure
problems like relationship disputes. This man is said to have been bewitched by
a spirit who's made him be unfaithful. His wife wants to leave him.
The priest questions him about this. I wish you good health. The spirit says, I sense illness. I sense misery. I sense bewitchment. If you fight, it will end in unhappiness. You shouldn't argue over
fair-skinned women. You must resist fair-skinned women. The couple's problems
are said to have affected their child. The spirit's talking
to the child's mother, it says the wife must keep her mouth shut
and not swear at or insult her husband. That way, her child's health will improve. The sacrifice will ensure that
unhappiness will not befall you. A king never walks. A rooster is not easy to guide. Your may well be in the presence of the
King, he is invisible. As for Rahman, he's a king of the road.
He's now driving at breakneck speed. Those who stand in his way should beware, he'll stop at nothing to arrive
at Cotonou Port before nightfall. As for Zachary,
he has finished picking up his cotton. I'm going to the factory in Banikora
to unload the cotton. It'll take me four
or five hours to get there. Five hours for a mere 65 kilometres. I've had this truck for six years.
I paid 5,250 euros for it. But it's not cost-effective anymore.
I'm always having to spend money on it. The journey's very tiring for me. The truck suffers as well,
from having to drive over all the holes. It gets tired out and that
leads to other problems. Can you smell that?
-Watch out, it's smoking. I can smell fire. It's coming from the belt.
We call that the belt. But Zachary hasn't been
completely unlucky, he's broken down in his own village. After renting a motorbike, he's off
in search of a new belt for the truck. His village is on a main road
and there's no shortage of DIY stores. There is, however, a shortage of belts. You never have anything. Three hours later,
he's ready to head back. It's completely wrecked.
The engine's stopped working. The alternator has stopped working.
Zachary is forced to call a mechanic. The ball bearing has given way,
so the engine stopped suddenly. I'm completely exhausted, I'm hungry.
I've got nothing in my stomach. I've got no money,
I'm so fed up. While he waits for the mechanic, Zachary
returns home downhearted. He'll have to admit to his wife
that some of his wages have once again ended up
in the pocket of a mechanic. This year's going to be very hard.
-You're right, what are we going to eat? God will make sure
we have something to eat. I really hoped that our lives would
improve this year after the harvest. So did I.
-Look, even your trousers are in shreds. You're completely filthy. She still manages to make him smile,
even if just for a few seconds. When you're all loaded up
and the road's too bumpy, the cotton could scatter at any moment. One day I saw a driver whose
truck had overturned four times. He can tell from the tarmac on the road
that the factory is close. The final piece of bad news of the day
arrives in the factory car park. I'll have to wait here for five days, then if everything goes
well I'll deliver on the sixth. Once again, the factory is running
several days behind, leaving the drivers waiting once more. We've been here for a week. The delays are costly
for drivers like Zachary. While he waits,
the cotton harvesting will continue, the manufacturers will call upon
other drivers to do his job. Another engine problem has forced Rahman
to spend the night at the road side. His boss will make up for this extra day
by taking it off his salary. Rahman arrives in Cotonou two days late and a huge traffic jams
in the big city don't help the situation, and neither does the
picky administration office in the port. What's in your truck?
-Bales of cotton. I've been waiting since this morning for
an authorisation to unload, it's taking a long time. The clock is ticking and a wave
of rebellion descends upon the port. Why are you waiting here?
-We're the labourers. We're striking because
it's so hard transporting the bales. And it's badly paid. The bales of cotton weigh
at least 250 kilos. We earn 20 cents for that. Per day?
-No, for one bale like that. None of the dockers will help. Come on, hurry up,
you've got to work quickly. If you unload it quickly you'll have the
chance to take another lead. That's slowing you down and it's making
the Port of Cotonou less effective. Yes, okay.
Thanks. The reprimanding continues. The coal Rahman has transported
to make some extra money, has made some of the cotton dirty. You can't put coal in the same truck as
the cotton, that's not allowed. Okay, thank you.
I'm sorry. Sort that out, I don't want
to see that happen again. Eventually, two dockers accept the work. As soon as it's off the truck,
the bales of cotton are evaluated by buyers like Jean-Pierre,
who's come over from France. What are you doing?
-I'm looking at the length of the fibres. Many of the bales
aren't quite up to scratch. They're good quality, but they aren't
careful enough with their stock. How was this one damaged? Because of the rain.
The plastic gets damaged. The bales are on the ground
and they absorb the moisture, which makes them rot faster Benin's cotton is sold all
around the world. Rahman's decent wage allows him
to support his big family. He's polygamous. The driver has just married his third wife
and he never denies her anything. That's a crockery cabinet. My wife chooses from it, and if I don't like what she chooses
she can choose another one. If she makes me tea,
she'll use this one. I have to leave soon.
-Okay. Isn't that enough?
It's only for you to get by. -I want a new dress. What? A dress?
-And a scarf. No, I don't have much money at the moment.
Okay thank you- goodbye. Don't forget to buy flour
and things like that. Rahman drives seven days a week
so he can feed his family. As for Zachary, he only has one wife,
but his old truck is just as expensive.
