The Toucouleur People
of West Africa
Occupation: Tradesmen, Fishermen and Farmers - both field-crops and cattle.
Agriculture: Agriculture is in poor state, often still run according to century old traditions. There are two traditional types of cultivation: -
On the Waalo, the people plant Sorghum on the ground that has been under inundation (once the waters have receded), that is if there has been sufficient flooding. This practice has been modified in recent years with the introduction of rice cultivation. The people have been taught how to irrigate by pumping water out of the river into reservoirs, and then gravity feeding it via dug channels to the area to be cultivated.
On the Jeeri, however the only water supply is from the brief rains - the river being too far away to be a water supply. Here mainly Millet is planted. A certain amount of vegetables is also grown on both the Waalo and the Jeeri such as beans, corn, pumpkin, melons, potatoes and sweet-potatoes. Other crops like peanuts are also planted from time to time.
Income Sources: Income for many is mainly from livestock and agricultural produce.
Per Capita Income: Unknown exactly what the economic capacity of the Toucouleur people is.
Products/ Crafts: Surplus agricultural products, Leatherwork, wood work, pottery, weaving, boat-building, black smiting and silver smiting.
Trade Partners: Neighbouring Senegalese and Mauritanian peoples
Technology/Industry: No industry known to exist in the regions of the Toucouleur
Communications & Infrastructure:
Telephones in Senegal 42,105 of which 33,863 in Dakar (1978). There are quite a number of telephones in the areas amongst the Toucouleur, but although great advances have been made in certain regions with the introduction of microwave and satellite installations, the system does not function well and needs much improvement.
Roads in Senegal 14,500km of which 3,400km tarred; Rail link from Mali to Dakar and a few other inland freight lines; A few small airstrips apart from the national airport at Dakar; The Senegal river is partially navigable during most parts of the year.
Food:
The Toucouleur diet is very basic consisting largely of rice, which in the last decade has actually become the Senegalese staple diet.
The Senegalese in general and the Toucouleur as well do not vary their diet or change the presentation of meals. This is probably due in some extent to a lack of means, but largely however to the fact that people do not like culinary change and don't care for anything new or different.
The favourite dish is rice and fish - called "Tiéboudienne". This is often served with some pieces of vegetable. The staple in the Futa used to be Couscous a millet meal based dish. The dish that is considered to be the traditional dish of the Toucouleur, is Couscous served with a souse made from the green leaves of the peanut plant or the sweet-potato plant. This is called "Thiére et Hakkou".
Other foods include vegetables in small quantities, sorghum, wheat, and corn on the cob, dates, beans, barley, different melons, yams, and peanuts.
Meat is also freely available - mostly mutton and goat meat, although beef is also found in the markets from time to time.
Through trade with neighbouring Peul, the Toucouleur have access to milk which they mostly use in curdled form.
Fruit is available according to season. The most common fruits being melons, mangoes, and tangerines in season.
Shelter:
Traditionally the Toucouleur lived in thatched mud dwellings, grouped together in villages governed by elders. The villages are usually very neat and tidy despite harsh living conditions. Towns are however, a horribly dirty different story!
In larger towns thatched roofs are replaced by tin / sink roofs. Constructions are generally of mud bricks that are plastered over with mud or cement. Cement has the advantage that it does not have to be redone every year like the mud plastering.
More and more people are adopting building with cement bricks instead of the traditional mud bricks.
Clothing:
The style of dress has been largely influenced by Arabic/Muslim tradition, but also reflects a certain practicality concerning the climate. Clothes are made from lightweight (often semi-transparent) materials to allow air to circulate, to keep cool. The general everyday dress tends to be in muted colours - earthy browns and greys, and then some blacks, blues and greens as well.
Fancy occasions however bring out the best in the closet! Then the dress style is brightly coloured, extravagant and richly embroidered in gold thread. Women and men alike will also wear their best jewellery - mostly gold chains, rings, earrings and bangles - on such occasions.
Men generally wear large long flowing mantels known as ‘3 piece or 2 piece Booboos’, with turbans or Islamic style ‘Fez’ skullcaps.
Women generally wear large long flowing dresses, also called Booboos, with wrap-around skirts beneath, and scarves as headdress (worn in turban style.)
Another form of 'dress' worn by both men and women is a basic drop-over long poncho style outfit made from one drop of material that falls to the knee or the ankles. The length of cloth is simply folded in half, a neck hole cut in, and rimmed around with embroidery. Sometimes the long sides will be stitched together, but that is rare. Below this a loose fitting, Pilasso-style trousers is worn by the men and a wrap-around skirt by the women.
Health/ Healthcare:
Nouakchott the Mauritanian capital, has one government-run hospital, consultations are free. Medicines are plentiful but expensive. Several other cities have hospitals too, and smaller towns have dispensaries. It is probable that traditional health care methods, including occult means, will be used alongside or above modern medication.
Along the Senegal River there are many diseases, in particular Amoebic dysentery, Bilharzia and the Guinea worm.
In Senegal a number of medical facilities exist, but the conditions are horrendous due to mismanagement, corruption, theft and gross neglect.
Concerning the Futa region, there are Hospitals in St. Louis, Ndjoum and Matam. In most other larger towns one finds clinics or dispensaries. There are also pharmacies and medical aid posts - like first aid posts in most towns.
In smaller villages there is usually a healthcare worker that occupies a 'health-hut' during certain times of the week.
The government has in recent years also invested in the training of birth assistants. In many small villages in out lying regions these 'midwives' are the only sources of medical knowledge around. In regions or towns where there is a military presence, often the military doctors and medics also do consultations and prescriptions.
However, despite the availability of modern medicines, people are most likely first to employ traditional healing potions, then to consult spiritual and religious (occult) healers for magic potions, and finally, often when it is already to late, they will go to a medical facility. Because of this and the appalling conditions at certain medical facilities, locals often call these facilities that should be places of healing, 'places where people go to die'.
Research on facilities in Mali needs to be done.
Average life expectancy: 46 yr. (1989)
Infant mortality rate: Unknown as of yet
Water resources:
Water is available from the Senegal River in the river basin, but is unlikely to be suitable for domestic use because of Bilharzia! It is estimated by WHO research that in certain areas of the river regions as much as 80% of the population is infected by Bilharzia!
In the outlying regions of the Jeeri water is scarcer, and arable land valuable and much sought after - especially as one moves north.
Several governments in conjunction with Arab help concluded a project on the Senegal River in 1981 to provide irrigation and ultimately hydroelectric power to most of the region. Two dams were to be built: The first, the Manantali dam in Mali (completed 1980), was to help regulate the river flow and prevent flooding. The second dam, the Makadiama dam, was to be constructed in the river delta region in Senegal, to stop sea water seepage upstream in the dry season, and to help increase irrigation in the lower regions of the river. This second dam will probably never be constructed...
In most towns and larger villages water is available. Water reservoir, wells and boreholes have been constructed almost on a willy-nilly basis in some regions, due to the lack of co-operation between NGO, government and semi-government development projects. Help is available for people in need, but often people choose to use the river because they don't have to pay for the water.
Even in some towns one finds houses side by side - one with electricity and running water (and some even with flush-toilets!), and the other without, simply because people do not want to pay for what they consider to be free inexhaustible resources!
Energy/Fuel/Electricity:
The wood cut for making charcoal for the traditional charcoal fires creates the problem of denuding the surrounding areas of vegetation. Charcoal is not just made for personal use, but also for trade, to sell at great profit in the cities. In most of Senegal electricity is available, but in many villages people do not want power because they don't want to pay the bills.
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