Keynote Address
2009 Pre-Departure Conference for U.S. Fulbright Scholars and Students
Sub-Saharan Africa
Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran
President, Kalamazoo College

Thank you for that very kind introduction.

It’s always very dangerous to have the assignment of speaking after dinner.  In fact I am reminded of a wonderful quote from one of our Native American elders who, in the mid 19th century was invited to a dinner at the White House. At the end of the gathering he observed:  “the white men have very curious ways.  After dinner, they gather together and someone talks for many hours saying lots of foolish things. On the other hand, after we have a dinner we gather together silently, smoking our pipes as we allow our food to digest.”

Keeping that admonition in mind, I will try to be brief—a very hard thing for a college president to do.  First, let me extend to you my very warmest congratulations on your receipt of the Fulbright Award.   What an honor and what an awesome responsibility.
As nations and individuals come to terms with what it means to live in a 21st century global community, opportunities for intercultural exchange take on new significance.

You will represent our country at an extraordinary time. The world is in the midst of a global economic downturn like nothing witnessed before in history and US financial institutions bear significant responsibility for this creation of this crisis. You will venture to Sub Saharan African at a time when the hopes and the expectations for a new era in American diplomacy are extraordinarily high, perhaps, even unattainable. The people in Sub-Saharan Africa, along with many others throughout the globe have a deep longing for an America that will connect with the rest of the world in partnership. And they believe that President Obama, a son of Africa, should – in fact, must, see the world from their perspective. When the expectations are this high, the possibilities of disappointment are great. It is at this moment, a time like no other, that you will travel to African as a representative of the United States of America.

In thinking about what I might share with you, I reflected upon my own experience as both a student and a scholar in Sub-Saharan Africa and I consulted with two colleagues who have been Fulbright Scholars on the continent. We have four very simple precepts we would like you to remember:
1. Blessed is she who embraces her mother, for she shall be the beneficiary of unimagined gifts.
2. Blessed is he who knows himself, for he will make better sense of his own responses.
3. Blessed is she who knows the difference between being a guest and a host, for she will avoid putting her country and herself in a very bad light.
4. Blessed are those who are flexible for they will not be tied into knots.

Let me try to elucidate:
1. Blessed is she who embraces her mother for she shall be the beneficiary of unimagined gifts.
The mother I am talking about here is Mother Africa, not Mother Earth. For Africa is our mother. Genetic research has clearly demonstrated that we are all descendants of one woman whose origins lay in the hills of East Africa. Interestingly, or should I say shamefully, scientists have had the audacity to refer to her as “Lucy”

I began to embrace Africa when I received a T J Watson Fellowship to conduct independent research in West and East Africa.  In many ways, during that first trip, I was much like you Fulbright students. I had just received my baccalaureate degree and had developed a research project that I thought made sense. I was elated and also very naïve. During my Watson Fellowship, I had a wonderful opportunity to come to know the continent, spending 6 months each in Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania, with shorter visits to Mali, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Togo, Benin Republic, and Burkina Faso.

Six years later after completing my doctoral work, I returned to Nigeria where I lived and taught at Obafemi Awolowo University for 14 years. At that point, I was probably a lot like the current Fulbright scholars: more mature, much less naïve, ready to teach and conduct research. During those 14 years, I witnessed three military coups and a botched election, got married and began a family, and became a full participant in the activities of my extended family and my university. 

So you can see, I embraced my mother enthusiastically and, in the process, I gained the wonderful gift of becoming bicultural. Nigeria is as much home for me as is Kalamazoo, Michigan, where I now reside, or Los Angeles, where I grew up. When I get off the plane in Lagos and encounter either the humid dog days of the rainy season or the hot, dry, dusty wind of the Harmattan, I know that I am home. In this Nigerian home, the rules governing social behavior and the flow of time are different, the food is different, and the sense of personal space is different. But it is home, just like America is home: I love both places, warts and all. Embrace your mother and she will give you unimagined gifts.
 
2. Blessed is he who knows himself for he will make better sense of his own responses. Many times during my work and study in Nigeria, I found myself frustrated and angry. Things did not seem to be going the way I had expected. People were not responding to me the way I thought that they should.  On reflection, however, I often discovered that I was the person whose motivations and unconscious assumptions might have been the source of the problem.

Africa, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa, is a place about which many of us carry uninformed illusions. There are so many reasons for this: the continuing dearth of accurate information, the prevalence of misinformation, the presentation of Africa as a continent of deficits: no water, no food, and no political stability. When this paucity of reliable information intersects with racism and cultural chauvinism, the combination may give rise to a variety of unexamined assumptions related to the people, the culture and the local institutions. I suggest that there is much to be gained by continuously taking time to examine your motives for traveling to this part of the world and to identify the (conscious or unconscious) assumptions that may be linked to these motives.

Let me try to highlight a few of the unconscious motives and assumptions that have the potential to limit your ability to maximize your experience. I like to refer to them as syndromes. I have identified four; although, I am sure there are more:

The Missionary Syndrome: which most often manifests itself as the need to save the continent, to assist or to rescue those unfortunate people, be they children, farmers, women, etc. The newest form is the ecological the missionary syndrome expressed as the need to save the rain forest and the gorillas. The missionary’s unacknowledged assumption is his belief that he knows what is required for salvation. The missionary does not operate “in partnership” with the community that he/she seeks to save. Consequently, he fails to recognize the ability of the indigenes to define most accurately their reality and to determine what they need. Rather, the missionary perceives him/herself as both the primary source of knowledge and the principal agent of change. The one who will do for others because he has decided they are incapable of doing for themselves.

Next we have the Curiosity Syndrome: Represented by a view that, at its heart, Africa remains an exotic place. Traveling to Africa will be one big safari in which the people will be as interesting as the animals. Those with the curiosity syndrome often unconsciously objectify communities, cultures and individuals. Being in Africa is seen as an opportunity to “let one’s hair down” and “go native.” In extreme forms of the curiosity syndrome, Mr. Curious may actually have the audacity to tell a particular group of people what it means to be a member of their own culture or nation, i.e., what it really means to be Yoruba or Wolof, or Malian or Kikuyu.

Let’s not overlook the Intellectual Superiority Syndrome: Expatriate scholars who are teaching in African universities often mistakenly assume that the undeveloped nature of the campus infrastructure reflects some form of incompetence on the part of the university administration. Sometimes, before they recognize what they are doing, these individuals have begun to tell those on campus how to run the institution. This syndrome can also manifest itself as a failure to recognize that African universities have a long and well respected, vibrant intellectual tradition. There is an assumption that if things are done differently from the way they are done in the US, something must be wrong. Ms. Intellectual Superiority will take it upon herself to tell local professors how to teach topics that they have been teaching very effectively for years. A variation of this syndrome may be manifested as an unconscious assumption that African students are incapable of the complex intellectual thought and discourse found on some campuses in the United States. As a result, the lecturer may unconsciously lower expectations for performance, teach down to students and fail to challenge them sufficiently.

And lastly, the Homecoming Syndrome: People of African descent, be they African Americans or naturalized Africans who have limited experience with Africa, often view a trip to Africa as the grand homecoming. We assume that Africa will welcome those of us of African descent with open arms, treating us as long lost “brothers and sisters,” We expect to be perceived differently and treated differently than our white American counterparts are treated. The problem is that most of us are unaware of how American we are!!  Many African Americans hold romantic notions of both traditional and contemporary Africa. We may even subscribe to a form of reductionism that seeks to explain the current social, political and economic challenges facing Sub-Saharan Africa solely as the consequence of colonialism and neocolonialism, as if African nations and African people are incapable of shaping their current reality, either positively or negatively. As a result, we may become deeply disappointed when we come to realize that what we had hoped to find does not exist.

Remain cognizant of these syndromes, and try to uncover the misconceptions and assumptions you may be carrying. This awareness will enable you to scrutinize more astutely your response to certain situations. It may also help you to better understand situations in which your hosts do not respond as positively as you might have anticipated.

3. Blessed is she who knows the difference between being a guest and a host, for she will avoid putting her country and herself in a very bad light.

As we all know, there are rules for being a guest and they vary from culture to culture and even from household to household. In my mother’s house, there was a simple rule: first time you visited you were treated as a guest, the second time you visited you were expected to act like a family member and offer to do the dishes.

As Fulbrighters you are guests, and as such, you will need to be respectful of cultural norms, even when they do not make sense to you. I remember my first trip to a friend’s village, a rural hamlet where there was no electricity or running water. I viewed it as a camping trip and thought that wearing jeans and a shirt would be just fine. My friend insisted that I dress up to meet her family. She explained that anything less than my best clothes would have been considered an insult. I, on the other hand, thought this would be a waste of my good clothes. First of all, I did not have very many, and I felt I should save them for special activities in the civilized city. Although this dress code made no sense to me, I complied. I was the guest. 

It is important for a guest not to be “overly critical,” especially with respect to sensitive social and cultural issues. It is entirely appropriate to ask questions so that you may come to understand social-cultural norms and expectations. However, it is important that you also refrain from making judgments about their correctness. So you think polygamy is anti-women; your host may find the American practice of serial monogamy equally problematic. Remember, what makes sense to you from a Western cultural perspective may make absolutely no sense to your hosts.

And then there is African time—it’s real. Africa has its own rhythm, and this rhythm is not linked to the chimes of a bell tower. Dr. Ahmed Hussen, Professor of Economics at Kalamazoo College and 2006/07 Fulbright scholar in Botswana wrote: “I found that in Africa, tardiness not punctuality was the norm. For someone coming from America, this can be very challenging. Although it took me a long time, I started to realize that there is no other way to deal with this problem except to learn how to be patient.”   Let me offer a special word of advice on the timing of arrivals to parties and special events: Never get to your host’s home at the designated hour. Arriving on time can often be considered an insult, particularly in situations where food is being served.  It’s like saying, “I’m not sure I trust your cooking, so I am coming early enough to watch you prepare the food” So learn to be late. The Yoruba observe: “a guest has eyes, but they perceive imperfectly.”  Remember you are a guest and your vision may be unclear. Defer to the ways of your host.

4. Blessed are those who are flexible for they will not be tied up in knots.
For most Americans, traveling and studying in Africa is a unique and challenging experience. There will be many surprises, things that you simply did not expect or anticipate. Let’s consider a few:
In most countries, the utility infrastructure cannot support the increasing demand for electricity and water. Just when you boot your computer to begin a day of work, the electricity goes out and it may not return for 7 hours, 27 hours or 72 hours. Water may be scarce. You turn on the faucet for your morning bath and nothing comes out.

The bureaucracy is incredibly complex, and yet, it does not work as efficiently as you might have imagined. It often seems as if it takes forever to get anything done. You go to an office to get the signature that you need to proceed with the next aspect of your project and you are told the person you need to see is “not on seat.” What’s worse, no one knows when or if he/she is coming back. Nor does anyone seem very worried about it.

When you live in an environment in which the basic amenities that allow you to plug in your computer, access your e-mail or bathe cannot be relied on, when the officer whose approval you require may or may not be cooperative, you still have control of one thing: and that one thing is the way you respond. It is very important to be FLEXIBLE and to have back-up plan(s) in case things don’t go as expected. For example, a situation may arise that leads you to modify, or in some cases, completely change your research project. Or you may find that you are asked to change your teaching assignment on very short notice. When situations of this nature arise, it helps a great deal if you are understanding and flexible. It is amazing how much you will gain from a small gesture of “good will” and cooperative behavior.

Dr. Margaret Musgrove, Fulbright Scholar in Ghana, observed: “If your original teaching and research plans don’t work out, find ways—creative ways—of giving your gifts. When my writing course did not work out, I set up shop in the library to help students with their writing. It was a huge success and very fulfilling. She continues, “When the lights go out, embrace the peace of the silence on campus and the wonderful caress of the darkness without background light—it's really quite peaceful and soothing. Actually, those quiet nights can be a real blessing, a time to reflect and spend quality time with the people around you.”

During my time in Nigeria, one thing I learned and eventually made peace with was that in spite of the fact that I was intelligent, responsible and able-bodied, I was not in control. We Americans like to be in control. Many of us measure the success of our days by the number of items we can cross off of our “to do lists.”  My travels in Africa taught me to see my “to do” list as a hypothesis to be tested, rather than a road map to be followed with alacrity.  If your check list is a hypothesis, it will operate something like this: if there is light, then I will do “x,” and if there is no light, I will do “y.”

One day I traveled with two other faculty colleagues, over a considerable distance, to purchase a cow that we were going to have butchered and share. Each of us anticipated that this would provide at least six weeks’ worth of meat for our families. The cow was purchased, slaughtered, and packed for the return to Ile- Ife. When we arrived in town there was no electricity. Each of us quickly dumped the meat in our freezers and dared anyone in our families to lift the lid. On the second day of no light, we were forced to make a decision because the meat (which has never had a chance to freeze) was sure to spoil. We were faced with a serious loss of time, money and protein. The only way to respond was to have a big party. We pulled out the cooking pans, smoked what we could, fried up the rest of that cow, and declared a community celebration. Flexibility and patience are the keys to a successful year.

So there you have it:
1. Embrace your mother.
2. Know yourself and check your responses.
3. Be a good guest, and,
4. Be flexible.

You are on a very special mission. According to the 2008 Open Doors Report, only 4.2% of the approximately 242,000 Americans who study and conduct research abroad elect to go to Sub-Saharan African. This means that slightly more than 10,000 Americans studied aboard in Africa last year. Each of you is taking the road less travelled.  Come to know your host country well in all of its complexity.

It is my sincere hope that when you return to this country, you will join the ranks of those of us who strive to situate issues of relevance to Africa within the national conversation.
I hope you will give voice to the full complexity of the country in which you have spent your time. That you will help all with whom you interact, recognize that Africa is a continent comprised of very diverse nations, each with its own unique history and cultures.

As you board the plane, I wish you:
• Great learning 
• Immense personal growth
• The opportunity to engage in scholarship that will be meaningful to your discipline, your students and the country, in which you are studying,
Finally, as we would say in Nigeria and Ghana, I wish you a very Safe Journey.