A FISHERMAN AND A SHRINKING LAKE
Afolabi Mosi lives in a central part of Africa. His homeland is suffering from a problem that Europeans, especially the English, do not have to put up with. In his part of Chad – a central African country, there is severe drought. He doesn’t remember the last time it rained. He guesses it was about 6 months ago, and it didn’t last any more than five minutes. He lives in the town of Bol near the shores of Lake Chad. Lake Chad has shrunk by 90% in the last 40 years. It is only a metre deep in most places.
“I am a fisherman. The fishing is getting worse and worse in the lake. The fish are getting smaller and their number is declining. This is affecting my life very badly”.
Afolabi struggles now to provide enough food and income for his wife Mirembe and their four children. Mirembe took up pottery for extra income. She is also trying to learn how to read, write and count her money because she needs to know the numbers to buy clay and sell her products.
“Our rent doesn’t go down with the level of the lake unfortunately,” Afolabi complains. “We still have six mouths to feed but I need help from the government. They have left me alone.”
Afolabi accuses the government, but the Chad government seems to be doing everything to stop this. Unfortunately, it is powerless against the nature’s ways. Angela Muscovite at the Centre for African Politics is not optimistic at all. “We have done everything we can, but it is not only the Chad government’s responsibility. A global action is needed.” he says.
None of these excuses will help Afolabi and Mirembe and their children. “I am learning how to fix cars. I don’t think cars will be disappearing soon and will certainly last longer than this lake will,” says the fisherman. “There won’t be any more fishermen in this area in ten years.”