Beoinese Corner
			Economy­ overview: The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output, which had averaged a sound 4% during 1990-95, rose to 5.5% in 1996 and was targeted at 4.8% for 1997. Rapid population growth offset much of this growth in output. Inflation jumped to 55% in 1994 (compared to 3% in 1993) following the 50% currency devaluation in January 1994,
Location	Benin's Flag

SPOTLIGHT 5/8/99 One of the oldest and most clearly defined of all social indicators is the function one performs in relation to society as a whole. Almost all societies, past and present, have rewarded and respected those who are uniquely capable of performing vital tasks. Similiar reward has not been forthcoming for those who perform functions that may indeed be vital to the prosperity of the whole but can basically be accomplished by the masses. In the language of the American singles scene: What do you do for a living? In a society entrenched in poverty and struggling to gain a foothold on development, the division of labor and social status granted to the uniquely capable is possibly even greater than in more prosperous economies because such a substantial portion of the whole is engaged in labor that sustains life but earns no income. Such is certainly the case in Benin where, according to the statistics available to me, agriculture is the primary occupation for roughly 80 percent of the entire population. With development comes a generally greater distribution of wealth. Money allows a larger percentage of the population to participate in the consumption of goods and services. The rise in consumption creates a need for more skilled laborers which, in turn, further distributes the wealth. So it is that I have begun what I hope will be a thorough and extensive investigation into the ways people in my community earn a living. I will try to impartially present representatives from as many occupations as possible to give an overall idea of the types of work that people do. I will try to find individual reactions to their work, wage and conditions when possible. I plan on making continued installations on this segment as time and local receptivity permit.
Name: Moukalia Douda Age: 35 Occupation: Pharmacy Clerk Days and Hours: Monday - Saturday, 7:30 AM - 8:00 PM; Sunday 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM Years in Current Job: 1 1/2 Moukalia was trained as a plumber and spent a number of years mainly in that line of work before getting trained to dispense medicines two years ago. He was offered the position by a doctor in nearby Djougou who wanted to open a "pharmacy depot" to serve the community of Ouake. The doctor, who now makes the 37-kilometer trip to visit the depot once a week, conducted the training, which lasted four months. Moukalia says that he estimates there are 30 or 40 customers on a busy day. The volume tends to increase during the rainy season because of a higher risk of malaria. In the dry season it's less except during the January winds, Harmatan, when the dust creates problems. For Moukalia the main benefit of his job is a guaranteed salary paid monthly without any problems. Occasionally friendly clients leave him tips but beyond that, it's just a job. As far as the downside of the job, Moukalia isn't allowed to leave the depot during the day. Worse, there is no opportunity for him to vacation because he is the only one trained to run the business. He says that since the depot doesn't make any money, it would be difficult for the doctor to hire someone else. When asked if he was pleased with his job, he said yes, but because he is obligated to, saying there is no other work he can do here. He is looking for other ways to earn a living and has ambitions of becoming a nurse. Moukalia makes 15,000 CFA a month ($24.66), guaranteed.		Name: Monique Dossou Occupation: Dressmaker Age: 26 Days and Hours: Monday - Saturday, 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM Monique earns her living as a dressmaker and is very pleased with her work. She made it as far as 4eme in school before beginning a 2 1/2-year apprenticeship in Northern Benin where for 45,000 CFA she learned her trade. When asked about the benefits that are specific to her job, she said that to be her own boss was a great benefit. She's also glad to have six apprentices who have to do most of the labor. She mainly just teaches the techniques and controls the work for quality. On a good day she can do three dresses but is always dependent on the next client. The business fluctuates but is best during the dry season when people have money and there are a lot of traditional events. She says that the negatives of the work include a lack of willingness on the part of parents to see the 30,000 CFA investment in the apprenticeship as worthwhile for their daughters. She thinks it's easier to just marry a daughter off and complains that parents don't understand the value of the training. She is proud to have a firm job that people respect. Although she's not married, she supports her family of six, two brothers, two sisters and mother. She says that she plans to secure her future before she thinks about marriage because she believes it's easier to find a good man if you have an occupation that works well. In securing that future, she wants to expand her business but is not sure how to do that. I asked her how much she made in a month but she said she has never calculated it. She did say that she doesn't struggle to take care of her family and considers herself to be doing well.