Little Marianne is a darling. She is eleven months now and the general attraction of the family. Whoever enters, men or wo men, nobody can resist taking her in their arms and pay attention to her. She gurgles and laughs and admires everything.

She stares at me with huge eyes. Different from other African babies she is not afraid of me. But she does not recognize me anymore. She cannot remember that in Fatoto almost half a year ago her mother put her to my breast. She greedily snapped at my nipple but when tasting it she made faces letting me know that she rather preferred her mother's warm filled black breasts.

Yahya is very fond of her. For hours he can sit with her on his lap or carrying her around. "CoCo" he crows and he explains to me this means washing in Mandinka. Having a bath she finds great and since then she reacts on CoCo. He talks about his idea about the education of CoCo. She is very movable and can already get off a chair but he doesn't want her to crawl on the floor. For there is only sand or rough concrete. Some times he puts a blanket for her on the floor. But there should be somebody with her constantly by turns to look after her, to lift her up, or take her on the lap. And so they pass her on the whole day and CoCo decides whose turn it is by stretching out her little arms to the person of her choice. Only when she has no preference, becoming listless and while Nyima prepares dinner, they bring the cloth and they put her on her back. Also in the evening, when it's her turn for bedtime she is tied up to the back and is rocked to sleep.

CoCo grabs everything in her surrounding: necklaces, earrings, Yahya's cap. She owns nothing. No toy, no cuddly bear. No children's toy whatsoever. Being a child in Africa is much different from the average child in the Netherlands. At this age babies in Holland already have half a cub of toys. They only sleep with their favourite cuddly toy and when you travel a large plastic bag full of blocks, dolls, books, rattles and games are taken along. I bring party whistles from the hotel for Coco. They are torn apart within a day.

In the afternoon we all sit outside and CoCo is passed on from lap to lap. Just as one pleases and if Coco wants it. A few times she also sits on my lap. Suddenly the little niece makes a face, passes Coco to somebody else and disappears fast to the back. A quarter of an hour later it's Nyima's turn. She shows me the wet spot on her clothes. That afternoon everybody gets their turn except for me. The following day the little niece returns from the market. She calls CoCo while unpacking her bag. Happily she holds two plastic pants up in the air.

In the evening, when we go out to drink a beer in the local pub CoCo is taken while sleeping. It goes without saying that Nyima is the sucker. The has two choices, either she stays at home or drag along CoCo. Nobody thinks it over and for Nyima it is the normal thing. No chance to sleep and within no time she is also passed from hand to hand. The barkeeper dances with her. The neighbour puts a small straw in her mouth and shows how to suck up Fanta. The third puts her on top of the bar. Nyima watches silently and slowly she falls asleep her self while the men argue with serious discussions.

More information:
Map of Africa and more information:
Map of Gambia and more information:

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More travelstories from Africa:
An tour through West Africa
On the motor from north to south

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