"Migrants observing capsized 'pateras' and the treatment they encounter upon arrival"
In the heart of Spain, born in 1961 in Castuera, Badajoz, Chema Caballero embarked on a remarkable journey that would take him across Africa for over three decades. Starting as a missionary and later becoming a cooperant, Caballero has been a witness to the continent's urban realities and the challenges it faces.
Caballero asserts that the reality of Africa is far from the stereotypes often held, and it's a very urban reality with young people doing incredible things. However, Africa also faces significant issues, such as the advance of the desert and the changing rain patterns, leading to scarcity of resources and displacement of communities.
One of the most unfortunate consequences of these challenges is evident in the abrupt stop of USAID funding for a large project promoting women's health reproductive services and cooperatives in Senegal. This decision left the project staff unemployed and the community work in vain, leading to consequences such as displaced and refugee populations, lack of food aid, and the disappearance of medical research funding.
Despite these challenges, Africa remains a land rich in culture and tradition. Music plays a significant role in Africa, being fundamental for any event, from funerals to religious or social ceremonies. The continent's music groups have often inspired and transmitted revolutionary messages, a fact evident in the numerous revolutions in Africa that have had their music groups.
Caballero's latest book, "El bebedor de cerveza," narrates his journey through many African countries over more than three decades. In this book, he shares his experiences, from trying the continent's various beers, including those drunk from calabash cups, to his encounters with the semi-nomadic cattle-herding communities in Africa, who are having to go further and further in search of water and pasture, leading to conflicts in the border zone with the Sahel.
Caballero also claims to have had a religious experience with Mammy Wata (the goddess of waters) and believes he is a mystical descendant of Patrice Lumumba. He is the author of several books, including "Los hombres leopardo se están extinguiendo" and "Edjengui se ha dormido. Del victimismo al activismo de los pigmeos bakas."
Today, Caballero is a consultant for cooperation projects and a "storyteller" who collaborates with 'Planeta Futuro' of El País. He encourages people to approach Africa with an open mind, dispelling the stereotypes and expectations of the "real Africa," often associated with villages, people in loincloths, and drumming by the light of the moon. Instead, he invites us to appreciate Africa for its urban realities, its rich culture, and its resilient people.
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