I'm the champion. Despite the looks of it,
Yao is not a stuntman. When you do this you shouldn't be scared. It's part of our job as assistants. We Africans do this for fun. We work as assistants for the drivers
of this minibus called Badjan. We are paid to do this. Assistants like Yao are paid
to check tickets, load luggage, but also to entertain customers
with spectacular acrobatics. A passenger who is entertained
is a passenger who will return. Isn't what you do dangerous? Without risk, you gain nothing. We've all fallen off the Badjan before. I almost died myself. I was hanging onto the Badjan on the side when suddenly a big truck
appeared in the opposite direction. I was clever enough
to flatten myself against the vehicle. Their balancing act
is inspired by a battle dance practiced in the neighborhoods. There are several moves required. This move is called Dima Remord. You see, it's not complicated. We're are having a great time doing this. Doing this is better than flying. Working as assistants,
they only earn €1.50 a day. It isn't much, but as they all say, the adrenalin rush
makes up for their small salary. The Ivorian youth and their energy
drives the country forward. It has made it the world's
leading producer of cocoa, cashew nuts, not to mention cotton
and many other products. Ivory Coast has become
the richest country in West Africa, renowned for its cocoa production. When the Prime Minister came
to the region, they filled in the holes. However, they didn't restore the road. This is crap. Going from one town to another
is always an adventure for Ivorians. Watch out, the truck will fall over. The country has lost count
of the number of deaths caused by homemade vehicles. If you see us cutting and welding parts it's because we can't afford
to buy new ones. The price of cocoa
drives the country's economy, so, when it falls, Ivory Coast suffers. That's my boy,
that's how we work in the cocoa fields. You see on television
that chocolate sells a lot of money. However, we don't earn anything. To alleviate poverty,
the country is developing its industry, but modernization
has not yet reached the countryside. Getting the goods
out of here is a problem. You don't know
if you'll arrive by the evening. This is why some people
try to escape poverty by digging for gold. It's hell here, we work hard
and we earn almost nothing. We want the road to be fixed. All the drivers are asking for this, the day it's fixed,
everyone will be happy. The challenges
that Ivorians face are daunting, but their will to move
forward is much greater. Everyone here calls him the elder. How's it going? Great. A mark of respect
to the last driver in the region to maintain a link
with the most remote villages. I'm trying to get my truck
to look a little bit better. To tackle the road. It's not easy. Look, the frame is broken here. His truck is ready for the junkyard. It's the state of the road that did this. If we don't repair it, it won't last long. Yakou can always call
on the help of local youngsters. They restore the old vehicle
and get it back in shape. When I come for maintenance,
the whole village works on my truck. Everyone owes him a favor. Thanks to his courage, families are able to keep
in touch with their loved ones. However, being 64, Yakou is tired and would like to pass on
the track to his eldest son, Dao. When you change the oil,
follow the instructions on the can. Okay, got it. However, getting his hands dirty
and tackling the roads is not exactly the
young man's dream future. I would like to be an artist. When I see rappers performing,
like Booba, Niska, La Fouine. I would like to be like them one day. His father sees him as a future road star. The passengers pile in,
but no one complains. Everyone appreciates
the opportunity to be on board a vehicle with four wheels and a running engine. It's not full yet, we'll get by like this. The road isn't very long,
about 45 short kilometers, but in this rainy period, Yakou takes between six to eight hours
to reach the last village. It's daunting, but it's a remarkable feat. In his 40 years of driving,
Yakou has never had an accident. I started this job at the age of 25
and I haven't even run over a chicken. I'm very careful. While he waits to replace his father,
Dao acts as an assistant. Without him, the journey is impossible. This road,
which has never been maintained, discourages even the most fearless. I'm the only one who makes the journey. There used to be ten trucks making
the trip but now, I'm the only one. There are young people
who have tried to make the trip but they haven't succeeded. They have given up on the road,
they say that the road is too bad. I really care about this truck
because it is my whole life. This truck is my life. It's how I feed my family. He knows what he's doing,
did you see the bridge, the way he crossed it. An inexperienced driver
would have crashed us all. Everyone in the back, suffers in silence. We can't even sit down,
I'm tired of standing like this. There are women and children. So when it shakes like that, it scare us. The passengers
are not yet out of the woods. I'm going to get off,
to better hold my child. The road is bad, when we get stuck,
we have to walk across. Yakou charges €3 per passenger but the men
have to contribute more than manpower. Please, guys, come and help us. Come. We need to place the wood. Elder, leave what's there in its place. That way it will be sturdier. On the road,
the bridges are rarely in good condition. The planks are regularly
stolen to make fire. Come on, you have to put more wood on,
otherwise I won't make it. Elder.
-Yes. You went through
the middle of the woods, not over it. At this point, I'll make it. Dao is always impressed to see his father
stay calm in the face of struggle. Put it here and adjust the end. When it's fixed, I'm going to go over it. They have to repair
the same bridge every time they travel. My father is brave,
I praise him all the time. He's a real chap,
he's brave, he's a fighter. The father and son want
to arrive before dark. Sleeping under the stars is not an option
as many children are on the trip. However, it's not looking very good. In two hours,
they've only covered ten kilometers. Formula One drivers could not imagine
how slow this vehicle is, the Badjan. Steer. All that God does is good. I love you all. Tardiness does not prevent happiness,
good luck. Cristiano. Positive messages
to see the bright side of life. At the Genoa bus station, since the 1970s,
the Badjan has been a staple. This minibus built by Renault
has been out of service for a long time. However, here, some talented
mechanics are restoring them to their original condition. This is how we make them. This is sheet metal,
we use sheet metal 12. Old trucks are used as a foundation. This is an iron plate,
this is how we do it. We start with a simple frame
that we cover by these plates to arrive at a truck in good condition. So that's how it's done. These suspension blades are done for. It's important to have strong,
robust blades, because the road is rubbish. The Badjan weak point is,
it's old fashioned shock absorbers. They break all the time. Hey Dje, come and help us, look at your crazy friends over there. Zu never stops fixing them. Like all the other parts of his Badjan, they break down one after another. I'm 41, my truck is 45, 56,
it's older than me. Hammer. He's been trying to fix
the old truck for two days. If you see us cutting
and welding the parts it's because we don't have
the money to buy new ones. In these conditions repairs take time,
and for a driver, time is money. I've totally wasted the day today. At his request, the mechanics worked fast
and his Badjan leaves the garage at the end of the day. Tomorrow is an important day. I pray to God it won't rain
and that I won't break the Badjan again. By having the vehicle
repaired rather quickly, Zum's car is at risk of breaking down. The bus station in Genoa
seems to be in chaos. However, it only appears so. Each driver waits his turn
before picking up passengers, whoever they may be. Zum is on edge. He wants to get on the road quickly to make up
for the two days he lost in the garage. Hey, tell him to move his tuck. Why should I move? Easy there,
do you know why I'm parked here? The Badjan trucks have 22 seats. You are three people, right? Get in. Zum has asked his assistants
to add ten more seats. It's tight, but we'll manage To attract the passengers,
he made them a nice promise. Hey, that's my seat. You lied, the seats are not numbered. Of course there are numbers,
everyone take your seat. Bastard. Every time people are yelling,
sometimes they even fight. The discontent is rising. The 60 kilometers
from Genoa to Gaeo is an ordeal. To make matters worse,
Zum keeps his foot on the gas. He has an idea in mind. I like to drive fast. It allows me to go
back and forth several times a day. That is, if the car's mechanics hold up. On this road, getting to the final
destination is always uncertain. However, it remains one
of the most important roads in the region. Between March and October,
its traffic increases significantly. The whole country is busy
harvesting cocoa beans, which yields profits. In 40 years, Ivory Coast has become
the world's leading cocoa producer. A beautiful title with a bitter taste. This tremendous financial opportunity
benefits the population very little and has dramatic
repercussions in the countryside. At a time when most children
are heading off to school, others are going deep into the forest. Eleven year old Johez
works on his father's cocoa field with his friends
and the rest of his family. These are my little brothers,
Pythagoras and Thales Between harvests, they go to school but apart
from that, their daily life is hard. I'm going to work on our cocoa field,
I leave the village at 5 a.m. However, when I arrive, I'm already tired
that it look like I've already worked. Johez, Pythagoras and Thales have walked
for more than two hours over the hill. Where is the path? You have to walk past
where the palm tree is. When they arrive at the field,
the children call their father. According to UNICEF, there are well over 500,000 children
working on cocoa fields. Here are some pods,
these are not very nice. To remove the pod,
you mustn't cut too close to where the flowers grow on the tree. Once cut, you put the pod on the ground. When you handle
a machete every day, it hurts your back. My boy,
this is how you work in the cocoa field. You have to clean up around the truck. You have to take care
of it like your own child. It has to be free,
at ease, it has to breath. Spirits, help me to leave this suffering. Farmers like Basil earn
an average of €1.50 a day. You see on TV that chocolate sells
for a lot but we earn nothing. We can't afford to send
our children to school. We can't even feed ourselves. When you break them and you see that
the beans are stuck in there, you won't earn anything
because these beans are not good quality, and you mustn't mix them
with the good ones. We have to throw them away. This is how I suffer in the field. Spirits, help me to leave this suffering. I don't want the children
to go through suffering. The work on the cocoa field
is exhausting and too difficult. At the end of the day, Johez
and the little workers have a nice snack. The treats of the jungle
have taken to the skies. It's mating season for the termites. The Queen's leave to found new colonies. Some of them won't get very far. In Ivory Coast,
there are no large cocoa fields, but thousands of small producers
working together towards a common goal. The delivery men take
their beans to the warehouses. Here, take this. What have I done? It's to teach you respect. Zakaria spends his days
berating Lamine, his assistant. According to the driver, it's to toughen him up
and teach him discipline. On the road,
accidents happen all the time. Driving here is more difficult
than working in the fields. In the fields, when you work
and you are tired, you can rest. However, you drive
your truck even when you are tired, you have to keep going. Zakaria has just loaded
three tons of cocoa beans, although he hasn't touched
any of the bags. Come on, do some work. Chocolate. Put those bags
on top of the first row, next to the door. The manager of the cooperative
would like to have his shipment sheltered before the rain comes. During cocoa season,
it's a problem to get the production out. You know what time
you leave in the morning, but you never know what time
you'll arrive in the evening. Zakaria has other concerns. Are we going? Fix my rear mirror. A lorry is waiting for them
50 kilometers ahead, it will transport the beans to the port. However, perhaps the cargo
won't be delivered today. The truck faces its first speed bump
less than half an hour after departure. We have to release the rear as well. The truck has sunk
and we have to release the wheels. Everybody in the back,
remove all the dirt, do it thoroughly. No one is really pushing,
you're just whining behind the truck. We are pushing.
-No, you're not pushing. You shout more than you push. If we carry on like this,
we won't get out of here. Release the wheels quickly,
otherwise we'll have to stay here. This is not a joke,
the situation is serious. Back up. After an hour of effort. It's not easy, we do it
because we have nothing else to do. As we say, there is no other option. On the Ivorian roads,
every meter past is a victory. The drivers get on without complaining,
with only one thing on their minds to arrive quickly
in order to find a new load. While Zakaria struggles to do more
than ten kilometers per hour, 300 kilometers further on, Zum,
the Badjan driver is driving at full speed without a single worry
about the dangers of the road ahead. How's it going man? When you drive fast,
you make a lot of money, time is money. The passengers are not exactly
relaxed and for good reason. Have you ever had any accident? Many accidents happen
around here but thanks to God, I have never had one, I pray that I won't. Praying, however, isn't always enough. At the worst moment while accelerating, the shock absorber repaired
the day before breaks down. We told you to slow down. They narrowly escaped a disaster. The passengers are shocked,
but no one is injured. This is my third accident,
it's a regular occurrence, we see it every day, we are immune to it. It's our daily life. The spring has broken again. We tried to tell the driver to slow down,
he didn't listen to us. There were women
and children in the vehicle. It's the road, it's not the speed. Twenty passengers find themselves stuck
two kilometers from the destination. I was supposed to be at work at 2 p.m.,
it's 2.22 p.m. What are you going to do now?
-I will walk. Get the truck ready,
we're going to pull it with a chain. On the roads of Ivory Coast,
solidarity is essential. Without it, many truck drivers would be
stuck on the side of the road for days. Pull, it's not fun, for God's sake. The truck is old,
but after a visit to the garage, it will be as good as new. The patched up
shock absorber holds up miraculously. Zum doesn't head for the garage. However, for the bus station, with another
trip, he can pay for the repairs. That is, if he makes it
to his destination. The poor state of the roads
is paralyzing the Ivorian economy. It can take days to travel
across the country, especially in the rainy season. Yakou, whom everyone calls the elder,
knows all about it. In the region, he's the last one
to ensure the link with the most remote villages. The journey is hard for the passengers. In three hours, they've only covered
20 kilometers out of 45. When I see the state of the road,
it pains me a lot, especially when I think of all the money that cocoa harvest
generates in this region. Without my truck,
these villagers would be trapped. Clearly the inhabitants of the forest
would have no choice but to walk. The elder is a good driver,
for years he's been driving us back to town to pick up
products for the village. He's so great. Six hours later, they're finally home. The journey is over,
I've arrived home, I'm very happy. I'm going to see my grandchildren. Look how everyone welcomes me. You should come every day. Thanks to him, pregnant women can go to town. There are still villages further away. We'll try to reach them to help them. When he picks up all the passengers,
Yakou makes €46, a nice sum that allows him
to provide for his six children. Dao, his eldest son can't stand
to see him suffer on the road. I don't know exactly how to help him. That's why I go with him,
to support him a bit. Every school holiday,
the student comes with him. He knows the sacrifice his father made
to ensure a good future for his children. It pains me that
my father is still driving. At his age, he should be taking
it easy but he has no choice, he has to feed the family. Since we haven't finished school yet he still has to finance us
to get us through school. I am proud of my father. When we, his children,
have a good social position, we will help him. I will fight until my last breath
to put a smile on his face. Dao push. When he graduates from high school,
Dao has to decide between two careers, a singer or a civil servant. Push hard, Yakou doesn't want to hear it. It's unthinkable for him
that his son might not take over. My son, I'm in the process
of training him. When he gets his license,
I'll retire and he'll take over. Although he does everything
he can to help his father, Dao is worried about inheriting the truck. However, the trouble of inheriting
the truck will not be for nothing. It will play an important role
in the young man's destiny. Seen from above,
this appears to be a forest, but it's not. These cocoa fields
interspersed with dead trees, indicate that 80 percent of the forest
has been destroyed to produce more cocoa. Yet another resource seems to be bringing
even more devastation to the area, gold. Today, the workers
who used to work on the fields are digging for gold in search of the vein
that will save them from poverty. To get down, you have to grab the pole. You have to check that they are secure. You put your feet on it and you go down. Fifteen meters below,
the risk is ever present. However, that doesn't matter. Between starving to death, growing cocoa,
or becoming rich by facing the risk, men like Remark
can easily make the choice. This is the formwork, it can collapse
at any time and we could all die. The first step is to remove
all the mud to find rocks. These rocks contain gold. The ones that contain the most gold
are found deeper, around 20 meters below. Do you find a lot of gold here? Not enough, there's a little but not much. There's not much,
but still enough to dream about. Romaric refuses to work
all his life on the cocoa field. I was a student before,
my parents couldn't afford to pay for my education. When I stopped studying,
there were no jobs available. I had to come here. Ivory Coast is a country on the rise,
but the youth is still suffering. My dreams is to find a goldmine,
earn money and return to my village. Then to make a beautiful family,
send my children to school and live on the land of my ancestors. This is where I was born,
this is where I want to die. On the surface,
the stones are crushed and then sifted. A little further on,
those who don't have the strength to dig tunnels are scraping
and washing the soil. Thanks to gold,
I can feed my five children. I am six years old, I work here to pay
for my school materials. For these families, looking for gold
or growing cocoa is the same suffering. It's hell here. We work hard and we earn almost nothing. We only have enough to eat, that's all. Fighting, never giving up,
going forward no matter what. That's the motto of the Ivorians. Zakaria and his assistant Lamine,
are trying to deliver their cocoa beans 50 kilometres down the road
where a lorry is waiting to take them to the port. It's not a great distance,
but to get there requires intense effort. In six hours of travel,
they only covered 35 kilometers. it's the other tire
that needs to be released. You can't get down there
to clear the area around the wheel. It's like this all the time,
it's exhausting. Especially for the assistants. It is done? Is it released? Everybody behind and push. Zakaria takes two hours to cover
the last 15 kilometers to the lorry. It's hard to imagine
that the world's leading cocoa producer would let its road network
deteriorate so much. According to Suleiman, the courage of the Ivorian drivers
is definitely a factor. No matter what happens, the goods always arrive
at the right place. No one in the government really considers
the state of the roads a real problem. When the prime minister
came to the region, they filled in the holes,
but they didn't restore anything else. It was laterite
that they filled the holes with. They didn't put any asphalt. Our wish is that the road is repaired, all the drivers are asking for it. The day it's repaired,
everyone will be happy. From this point on, the road is very bad. This main road is one
of the most important roads for transporting goods in Ivory Coast. It leads straight to the port of Abidjan. If you have a big load,
you have to drive slowly. Otherwise your cargo goes overboard. The drivers face
350 kilometers of damaged road. We even get overtaken by bikes,
all because of this road. When a patch of asphalt appears,
everyone speeds up, dodging the holes. This makes the road particularly fatal
with more than 5000 deaths in 2018. Tie up the logs,
we're going to take them off. It's the steering mechanism that broke. There was a woman who was standing
there and we almost ran over her. However,
thank God we were able to avoid her. The driver doesn't bother
to check his truck. He takes off again immediately. The poor condition
of the vehicles is partly the reason for the numerous accidents. In contrast, one stretch of the road
has fewer accidents than others. It appears that a guardian angel
is watching over the drivers. Abu is a victim of the road. He was hit by a car when he was younger. The idea of begging
was unbearable for him, so despite his paralyzed leg,
he set himself a goal. One day I got up
and told my brothers that these roads were causing a lot of accidents. So to change this, I said to myself
that I should try to help our brothers. That's why I committed myself to the road. Over and over again,
he fills in all the holes one by one. I am here seven days a week. I've already repaired
seventy kilometers of road. Thanks to those who are kind to me, I can earn two to three euros a day. Given my situation,
I can't say that it's not much. I have a wife and two children. I'm very tired. His courage saves lives. Thanks to him, the holes all disappear
and trucks, cars and motorbikes travel much slower all day. To show gratitude
for maintaining the road. The Ivorians do not lack courage
and it is better that way. Their life isn't so easy here. Dao and his father are still having
a hard time on the road. The wheel is spinning in the air,
we need to put a wedge there. I will get a plank then. It's not high enough, we have to add more. They are trying to reach
the last village of the forest. It's been a while since any other vehicle
has tried to reach it. The village has been totally isolated
for over a month. These are just small puddles, where we're going,
it's going to be really crappy. Close the door and push. Even though he's been holding
the steering wheel for seven hours without a break,
Yakou doesn't want to stop. I'm in good shape, I relax on the days I don't work. Young people
don't want to do this job, it's hard. Except for me,
no young people do this job. It is for this very reason that Dao
does not want to take his father's place. The young man dreams of an easier life. Right now I would like to be in Abidjan,
living the good life, to be in Paris but I have no choice. Right now I'm in this truck helping my father because he's all alone. You have to push, you didn't do anything. I'm so exhausted, I'd like to turn around
and go home and have a rest. It's not yet the end of the journey. He's been driving, or rather trying
to drive for eight hours now. In the back, the passengers at least
have something to help them pass the time. After ten hours, Yakou still finds
the strength to teach his son the art and the way
to get out of a tricky situation. After 12 hours,
the end of the ordeal comes as well as a change
of heart for the father. I tip my hat to you,
you have proved to me today that you are a good man. With all the suffering you have gone
through today, I am proud of you. If you want to continue
your studies, you can. If you want to go into music,
you can do that too. However, if you want to take over, this truck is yours. Yakou gives his son a chance
to shape a better future for himself, to get an education. If the 500,000 children
who work in the cocoa fields went back to school like Dao,
the youth of Ivory Coast would lead their country to great success.
