It has been a long time since the animals of the savannah
no longer flee when they hear this strange complaint. The squeaks of this truck are known
throughout the country Bariba in Benin. Zachari is the unfortunate owner. It was by growing cotton that I was able to buy this truck. At the time, the cotton fields were profitable. But it must be said that the climate has changed. The rain is coming
rare and the land is now difficult to cultivate. I have money difficulties and when the money
miss you, it's the great suffering. From October to January, northern Benin
lives to the rhythm of the cotton harvest. Fiber accounts for nearly 40% of the country's exports. For months hundreds of rickety trucks, Travel the roads in defiance of danger. Cotton makes the wealth of the country, but it impoverishes the countryside. The flower requires astronomical quantities of water to grow. Before, we used to draw water here. But today it's over. The well is dry. Harvest time, day and night,
the cotton law is essential in Benin. It's been nearly a week that a hundred drivers, Hope to finally load their cargo of cotton. An endless wait, without any convenience.
Without ever leaving his machine. If we leave the truck unattended,
they will come and steal anything. They will steal the diesel or the battery. And before he had how many millions
miles when you took it? Well, it was used by the whites, we
don't know how they used it. Before delivering the truck to us,
sometimes they tamper with the meter. He's my apprentice. He's here to learn to be a driver. Yes, he travels with me. Draman and his apprentice transport the balls
of cotton packaged in this factory. He hopes to charge today but it seems to be off to a bad start. The factory dates from the 80s. These security conditions too. In a racket of hell, about fifty
workers clean the cotton of its impurities. After waiting nine days, the miracle
long awaited finally arrives. Draman loads 24 tons of cotton. I am watching
loading so that nothing is missing. The driver must deliver the cotton in
less than 24 hours at the port of Cotonou. One might think that the name of the city
is a tribute to the precious filament, Far from there. Cotonou means river of death, like the road that leads to it. 600 kilometres, pedal to the metal, to the other end of the country. During major festivals, the Beninese dance the Téké. And when they roll, he dances the shook, a beat
imposed by the road and its countless potholes. You see how it lifts us up. The road was badly made. There are lots of holes. And it lifts us into the cabin. Draman puts several kilometers, launched his truck. It must be said that under its modern aspects, the machine
still displays a venerable age, 40 years. Once the speed of 100 kilometers per hour is reached, Draman uses the brake pedal very little. As soon as I honk, if he doesn't move away,
I shift to the left and overtake him. But you never stop, in fact? No, for pedestrians, no. If he's in the middle of the road, I can stop. To protect me from accidents
I use the "gris-gris" and the prayer. We Africans are always safe. But who protects pedestrians and motorcyclists, When his truck turns into a rolling guillotine. Especially since Draman doesn't often have an eye in his retros. This piece of metal is none other than the
iron strapping that holds the tank. The fuel bowl can now detach at any time. And explode on the road. Ten long miles later... Everything is fine. Finally, it was necessary all the same little. The road is still long to Cotonou. In Benin, trucks like Draman's are called Titans, In reference to a French military truck of the years
40 which carried heavy loads quickly. Zachari's is the reverse of a Titan. He advances at the speed of a man on foot. 5 km/h. Rarely more. Zachari goes around the plantations of the bush. They load the cotton harvests to bring them to the factory. The old truck from the 60s has long
lost its splendor and its engine its valour. Why does your truck keep breaking down? It's the fuel pump that's broken. But to change it, it will cost me 210€ and I don't have that money. System D is much cheaper. What is this can? The pump no longer sends diesel to the engine. That's why I put the tank here. You understand ? Without this system, the motor would no longer be powered.
By placing its tank in the cabin, Well in height, the gasoline goes down cleverly towards the engine. Still broke! But the system has its limits. This is the fifth breakdown of the morning. I lost my wrench. Every kilometer, Zachari turns into a pump
human to reprime the diesel. Before loading, the men pack the cotton. At harvest time, on every farm, families lend a hand in the fields, without exception. Our children, we exploit them in spite of ourselves. Without their work, we could not pay for their schooling. It's too hard work for them
health. They often fall ill. The stems sting us and hurt us. Our parents are in poverty, they have trouble feeding us. It's hard for them to find
money to sustain us all. The children work an average of 10 hours a day. Before becoming farmers, the Bariba were
a nation of fierce warriors. Who liked to challenge each other in single combat. Today, every load wakes up
in them this dormant fighting spirit. The group that will carry the most balls
130 kilos will be declared the winner. Come on, push fast! Push the cotton ball to the bottom of the truck. I don't have to be tall to hoist it. Careful, they wanted to rock
the bale of cotton on us. I'll leave when they're done bickering. The farm tour lasts two days. As it advanced, the truck
Zachari looks like a cloud. Cotton has become one of Benin's main resources. But in recent years, the drought
sets in, reducing harvests. At the next village, a bad surprise awaits Zachari. A mutiny is underway on the farm. Come on, please get up! No worker wants to load the truck. Zachari
can't help it. Impossible to convince them. The men, however, do not ask for much. It is the lack.
We have no water. It is our women who fetch water, With the basin. The owner of the cotton field did not
not provided enough water for the men. It must be said that to find it, it's quite an expedition. The well is three kilometers from the village. It's hard to fetch water that far. Because of the lack of water, the children of
family are always dirty. What's the matter ? There is no water ? Before, we used to draw water here. But
today is over. The well is dry. The women will walk an additional three kilometers
to reach the second water point. Drought is not the only culprit. Cotton is one of the crops that
consume the most water in the world. 1h30 walk later, the little
column leads to a backwater. The water is cloudy and foul. Pour me some water. - The water is not good here.
- Why ? She is muddy. People walk here with their dirty feet. This water is full of germs. She hurts her stomach. We have nothing to disinfect it. The women walked six kilometers to
five basins and two cans of water. The swamp is really far away. We spend our days fetching water and
then there is no more time to do the dishes. And the meals are never ready on time. I must
hurry, otherwise my husband will scold me. Boiled corn flour forms the basis
of their diet almost all year round. To avoid water-related intestinal diseases
from the backwater, men make a natural medicine. They filter part of the liquid with ash. The water thus becomes richer in potassium
and acts as an antidiarrheal. Once quenched, satiated, the men sniff a tonic. Powdered tobacco. I put too much on you. You have to take some off. It is so that men
be quick at work. Does it give strength? It gives us a lot of strength. The men return to work, but it is too late. Zachari is forced to spend the night in the village. Draman also spent the night on the side of the road. To make up for lost time, the villages
are crossed without slowing down. The day before, the driver lost
lots of time in traffic. As night fell, he was forced to
stop because of highway robbers. Highwaymen who rob travellers. The police roadblocks that track them down
waste more valuable time. To live, Draman must perform by
month two round trips to the port of Cotonou. Bosses pay us sometimes
120 euros, sometimes 110 euros. The rest I earn on the road. To earn money,
I transport other goods. That I deposit to other customers. And money, he needs it.
Draman has two children and three wives. One he lives with in town. The other two,
to them, live in a village on the edge of the national. When he passes by, they take advantage of it
to go a long way together. There, that one is the mother of my child. If I make money I can marry many. I'm stopping because I'm going to bring them down here. With his two wives, Draman set up a
small coal resale business. You help me load the coal. How much is the coal? 2.30€. The coal will be resold by his wives, double
price in the surrounding villages. Draman also loads a few bags that he
resells in restaurants in Cotonou. A small nest egg which allows him to maintain
his many family lives. Here, it's for coal. Draman hopes this time to happen
before dark at the port of Cotonou. But the sea is still far away and its attached charm
on the gear lever seems to be missing. Now I drive at 50 km/h. If I exceed this speed,
we will land in the bush, Because the road was not well made. Here are two trucks coming
and the other is broken on my side. The driver could not control
the truck and the tires exploded. But there is a much more serious problem. It's dangerous, the truck is in danger of overturning. - Oh, is he going to fall?
- Where we are is dangerous. The truck overturns slowly, carried away by its
load of wood that shifted during the accident. I come to measure to see if the truck lifts. In the end, it is their load that saves them. Even if he falls, the hold holds him. There, we are sure that it holds. Since all drivers drive fast, the fat
danger on this national, it is the accident. It was this truck that was on the way, The accident happened because of him. This is that first overturned truck
which has not been removed. If he had been removed, the road
would have been free and I could have passed. The trailer looks good for scrap. But by dint of
run out of everything, Beninese have learned not to throw anything away. The damage is at this level,
the platform unhooked and overturned. You will have to bring a crane to lift it. But we're gonna get that truck back, that's for sure, And use it in the coming month for transportation. A few kilometers further, a
alarm sounded in Draman's cabin. We have a problem with the pump. On this road, there is at least one
advantage, the mechanics are never far away. In ten minutes, they arrive with a new pump. On the other side of the road, the image is reminiscent of a prison. Prisoners of their poverty, these families reduce
the gravel stone to pay for something to eat. Jerryma, 25, works with her children. When you stay all day in the sun,
the next day, your body hurts. Heat gives fever. It's hard to get water. The water
that oozes from the rock is not drinkable. We drink small sachets of mineral water which cost €0.40. It's expensive. But with children, you can see up to 20 a day. The gravel is sold to building contractors. If I manage to fill a barrel, I will win 2€. I have very bad back and hip pain. It is because of this work that requires me to
bend down and get up constantly. This life, some Beninese try to
change by trusting the invisible. Voodoo was born in the heart of the forest, from the encounter
Yoruba gods and **** and **** deities. Over the centuries, it has become religion. These women are dancing for their king and chief
cleric of the voodoo cult, Dagbo Unadeu. Thanks to voodoo, the king solves the problems of his subjects. The spirits dispense justice,
announce good or bad omen, Cure illnesses, such as marital problems. This man would be bewitched by a spirit that
would make him unfaithful. His wife wants to leave him. The voodoo priest questions the afterlife. Be healthy. The spirit says: “I see a disease. I see misery. I see the bewitchment." But if you quarrel,
it will lead to misfortune. You shall not quarrel
because of fair-skinned women. You shouldn't love too much
fair-skinned women. The couple's arguments would affect their children. The spirit speaks to the mother of the child: He tells the woman she has to shut up
and not swear or insult others. Like this, the health of the child will improve. The health is there but as long as the mother has no restraint and will make malicious remarks, it will react on the child. Sacrifice will ensure that misery does not happen. A king doesn't walk. A rooster is not easy to guide. No matter how much you circle around the king, he is invisible. Draman is a king of the road. He is now driving
open tomb. Beware of those in its path. He will do everything to arrive before nightfall at the port of Cotonou. Zakari, for his part, has finished his round of cotton picking. I go to the Banikora factory to unload the cotton. It will take me at least 4 or 5 hours to get there. 5 hours for 65 short kilometres. This truck has been mine for six years. I paid 5250€ for it. But now it is no longer profitable. There are always a lot of expenses to be made on it. On this rutted road, the journey is very trying for me. The truck also suffers a lot. By dint of rolling over all his holes, he
gets tired and problems follow. Be careful it smokes. I smell a flame smell, it looks like the belt. It's the belt. Zachari is still a bit lucky.
He broke down in his village. After renting a motorcycle, he goes hunting for a belt. His village is located on a major axis,
DIY stores abound. Straps like his though... But look properly!
You never have anything. 3 hours later, he is ready to leave, but... It got damaged! The engine has stopped. The alternator no longer works. Zachari is forced to call a mechanic. It was the ball bearing that broke. The engine suddenly stopped. I am completely exhausted. I'm hungry. I have nothing left in my stomach, I have no more a penny. I am completely discouraged. While waiting for the repair, Zakari returns home, annoyed. He is going to tell his wife that part of his pay is
once again went into the mechanic's pocket. This year will be very hard. But if it's true, what are we going to eat? God will give us food. I very much hoped that our life
is improving this year after the harvest. I was hoping too... But here it is. Look, even your pants have become a rag. Look at you, you're all dirty. She managed to make him smile for a few moments. When you're loaded and the road is bumpy, The cotton can scatter at any time. One day I saw a driver whose
cargo overturned four times. In the factory parking lot, the last
bad news of the day. I'll have to wait here five days
and hopefully I'll deliver the sixth. The factory took several days of delay,
again leaving the drivers waiting. We have been there for a week. Delays cost drivers like Zachari. During this time, the cotton harvest continues and the producers call on other competing trucks. A final engine failure nailed another
times Draman all night on the side of the road. His boss will compensate for this extra day
by taking it from his salary. Draman enters Cotonou two days late. The traffic jams of the big port city do not help matters. Like the fastidious administrative services of the harbor master's office. - What do you have on board?
- Cotton balls. Since this morning, we've been waiting for the papers to unload. The clock will still tick. A wind
of slingshot blow on the port. Why are you waiting? We are labourers. That's why we do this,
because it's hard. It's not well paid. You see the cotton balls there:
it weighs at least two hundred and fifty kilos. We earn twenty cents. Per day ? Nope ! For a single bullet like that. No docker comes to help him. Detach, detach, we have to get there quickly. Unload fast, unload fast. You have the option of taking
yet another load. It slows you down and it slows you down
the competitiveness of the Autonomous Port of Cotonou. Yes Yes thanks. The reprimands continue. The coal it carries
on his own account soiled the bales of cotton. We must no longer put coal in the truck which
transports cotton, it is not allowed. Ok thank you, excuse me. Make your arrangements, this must not happen again. Two dockers finally agree to do the job. Barely unloaded, the bales of cotton are evaluated
by buyers, like Jean-Pierre, who came from France. What are you doing here ? I look at the length of the silk. Many prizes have unpleasant surprises. They have good quality. This is because you have to be careful with storage. It got damaged with the rain. The plastic by force is damaged. It sucks up moisture and it rots faster! Benin cotton is sold all over the world. Draman's good salary enables him to maintain
a big family. He is polygamous. The driver just married
his third wife and he refuses her nothing. All this is a "bowl guard". My wife can choose those. If I find it wrong,
it can change and take others. If she wants to make me some tea, she takes the others. - I'm going to leave soon.
- OK. That's not enough for you? You just have to manage. I want a dress. What ? A dress ? And a scarf. No, right now I don't have a lot of money. Good thank you, goodbye. Above all, don't forget to buy the flour and the rest. To feed his three families, Draman drives seven days a week. Zachari only married one wife,
but his old truck costs him just as much.
