IT was almost nightfall and village was filled . with excitement.

The town cryer moved from house to house ringing a bell and telling villagers there was to be a meeting at the Court Barri the next day.

'The Chief' has asked me to tell the people of Gogoima that there is going to be a meeting tomorrow ' the town , cryer said. "Nobody should go to their farms or do other tilings. Anyone who Is not present at the meeting will pay a fine."

The Court Barrl in this village of about 100 Mende people is the place where matters and issues affecting the village are discussed. Local disputes, family and most marriage issues are settled here. If a man beats his wife or chases another man’s wife, hd Is brought to the Barri.

In this Instance, the Chief. Moisa William, had received a message from Mano, the headquarters of Dasse Chiefdom about 20 kilometres away, that roads were to be built linking Gogoima with other villages ih the Chiefdom and ■ William wanted to know what residents thought of the plan.

He told the meeting that the road would allow the movement of people and goods to the big towns, thus giving farmers a bigger market for their produce. It would also prompt other organisations and government departments to do more' for development for the village, he said.

"My people, when a child is sick, especially at night, or a women has complications during childbirth, it is hard for us to get them to the health centre." William told his fellow villagers. " Most

times, we have had to carry them on hammocks. But with the road constructed, things will be made a lot easier for us."

In the village, most of the work to cultivate coffee., oil. palm, cocoa, rice, cassave and mixed vegetables is done by manual labour. Some Gogoima farmers feel they have lost out because of the relative isolation of the village, and that a road might help.

The previous central government Introduced a "Green Revolution", for example — but it did not reach Gogoima. Says ' 50-year-old Pa Alfred : "All we saw were fleets of vehicles on the streets of the big towns. Nothing was done for us. the rural farmers in Gogoima and other villages.

"We never get any mechanical Inputs from the government." he complains, "not even fertilizer and seeds."

One old man said the road construction across the entire Chiefdom was "a sweet and sour pill we have to swallow."

"For one thing, "it will make travelling easier for all of us. But we will have to pay for what we gain.” he said.

After holding brief consultations with the others, the spokesman for the Village Development Committee. 38-year-old Brima Sinnah. told the Chief. "We are happy for the news and are ready to cooperate with whatever organisation is coming to help us.

"But we have only one fear." Sinnah continued, "and that is. when we have the road, we will have thieves and other bandits coming here to take our produce away."

The Chief agreed with the villagers and said they should try to eliminate the threat: "we should form a youth group, a vigilante group, 9o take care of anyone who comes here to steal our properties."

Everyone shouted in agree ment. The group was formed on the spot.

A date was then fixed for

the chief to travel to Kabaima. the village about 10 kilometres away, which had been selected to host a bigger meeting for further discussions on the road construction.

At the bigger meeting, the issues of more produce being sent out of the village and the concern about thieves would be top of the agenda.