Beware of Women with Slingshots

I just returned from a long weekend in a small village. Within hours of arriving I was ushered off to the fields so that my proud hosts could show me their intense efforts from the planting season. While they were struggling under the heat of the sun, I was in New York visiting their husbands, fathers, and cousins, the people they need the most to help them during this time of immense work.


As we approached the fields, I heard yelling and shouting. Walking through the maze of millet,  I could hear voices all around me. My guides (an army of children) started grabbing the stalks and eating the inside, which resembled cane sugar. Everyone seemed excited to be in the fields, occupied with munching and looking for additional treats. Finally an old friend appeared from the stalks, in one hand a sling shot and in another a handful of dirt. She welcomed me with a big smile and then showed me how she uses the slingshot to scare away the birds. 


With the millet almost ready for harvest, the birds have arrived uninvited to join in the feast. The women of the village work in shifts to make sure they don't take off with their crop. The birds worked in a group to swoop down on their targets and the women yelled and shouted to stake their claim to their crops. This game lasts all day, from the time the millet starts to mature to the day the last stalk is harvested. The birds know to beware of women with slingshots! 

There are many crops to protect against the birds. A quick walk revealed:


Millet

Watermelon

Hibiscus

Black eyed peas

Of course as we moved along we also took some of the treasures we found to take home and eat later! If it is women vs. birds, I would say that this time the women won! Sweet victory!