Kuranko Boy in Blue

photo © by Chad Finer

Taken in March 1970 in the  Kuranko village of Sokurella which was a small and remote village in the north at the base of Mt. Bintumani in the Loma Mountains. The village consisted of about 15 houses. When my fellow hiker and Peace Corps volunteer, Lloyd Ziegler was not feeling well we elected to stay an extra day or so in this remote village. As noted in previous postings the area was quite hot during the day, and although the humidity was also oppressive it did not rain since this was at the end of the dry season. Most of the men of the village spent their days either hunting or at their rice and cassava farms. The women, older adults, and children kept us company and although we did not speak the Kuranko language we could get by well enough so that communication was adequate. Very few spoke Krio and none spoke English. The children were somewhat intrigued by our presence in the village and thus paid a lot of attention to our activities. The adults remaining in the village were cordial and I am sure somewhat amused by our being in the village for several days. They allowed us to set up our tent next to one of the houses, and shared their rice with us. On one of the nights in the village there was a Bondo Society celebration in which there was fine singing and dancing. People came from all over the area to celebrate and we did the best we could to see the festivities.  During the day three Bondo girls paraded about the village showing off their finery. They allowed me to take their portraits.

Bondo Initiates at the village of Sokurella - March 1970
photo © by Chad Finer