Madam Doussou was in her room when we stopped by her home in Avlo mid-afternoon. One of the tenants in her compound house had to knock on her door to let her know we had arrived before she emerged, walking stick in hand, out into the open.
Though she is uncertain of her age, one thing Madam Doussou knows is that life has been difficult. She was widowed at a young age and became a single mother while some of her children were still small, which meant she had to work even harder to cater for her family. The physical scars she bears, the disfigurements she pointed out on her left arm, are evidence of her ‘tukada,’ or struggles.
“Madam Dossou is a different personality to the other women we spoke with. She’s very intense and a little reserved but she’s generous in spirit and, when asked, she was open with her answers. Life has given her many knocks, but she’s remained stoic,” Seth says.
Image: Madam Dossou leans forward as she speaks to Seth Avusuglo in her home in Avlo, Benin.
Image: Ernest Ankomah
African Women Are History! 