Student Journal: Kristin Reed on Angola's oil dispatch 4

THE DISPATCHES

1- The lowdown on Luandan cuisine, make-believe Monopoly, and a landscape of ramshackle shelters and high-rises

2- Trickle-down economics Angola-style, petro-diamond capitalism, an oil boom in a land of flickering electricity, and an encounter with a child

3- Landing an elusive appointment, just take a right at the abandoned minibus, overcoming suspicions

4- The allegory of Angola: Life finds a way, even in a climate of suspicion

5- The research game plan, exploring ever-deeper water, talking to the big fish and the little fish

6- Environmental law enforcement and the survival mentality

7- The Resource Curse: the paradox of plenty, mortgaging oil revenues, the threat of elections

8 - The Right to Development: rare carrots and abundant sticks, micro-entrepreneurs and the transparency movement

9 - Os Vulneráveis: Les Misérables of Angola

10 - How do everyday activities of oil production affect Angola's marine environment?

11 - Venturing outside Luanda, encountering a petroleum engineer — and a toothy grin

12 - An audience with the king, the trickle down effect, and the Berkeley boogaloo

13 - Compensating for an oil spill, failing crops and disappearing fish, and the continued hunger for oil

14- Oil sparking talk of rebellion, Americans living behind barbed-wire fences, and the George Bush factor

15 - High-heeled trek across a fetid path, rich and poor cheek to jowl, and indelible memories

A small garden amid the trash heaps and clumps of red earth. (Kristin Reed photos)

THE DISPATCHES: Kristin Reed

The allegory of Angola: Life finds a way, even in a climate of suspicion

As I was walking along the perimeter of a large dumping ground in the center of Luanda, I spotted a ring of rocks delineating what looked like a small garden. The sight filled me with great hope for the future of Angola. This garden had shown me that with the proper nurturing, life could grow despite the most unfavorable conditions. Indeed, despite Angola's 27 years of war, there is fertile ground for rebirth and renewal – given the provision of proper nurture. Smiling in this revelation, I approached the small garden, pulled the digital camera from my bag and snapped a photo.

However, when I returned to the sidewalk, a man asked accusingly, "Are you a journalist? I saw you take a photo." I replied that I was a student and not a journalist. He informed me that it is prohibited to take photographs. Now I've heard that I should not take photographs of government buildings, police officials or sensitive topics, but all photos are forbidden? I didn't push the matter with this insistent gentleman, but thanked him and continued onward before he could ask for a bribe or the camera itself.

The climate of suspicion in Angola is intense. In part, this may be a reaction to a number of recently released searing reports on corruption written by the International Monetary Fund and watchdog groups like Global Witness. However, the effect of decades of war cannot be underestimated. There are those who have not known peace for their entire lives. Suspicion in wartime is a protective safeguard; you never know whose side someone is on.

To a suspicious interview subject, it is a challenge to explain the difference between investigative reporting and academic research. However, I might liken it to the metaphor of the garden: whereas an investigative journalist might be interested in the dirt, I am interested in the opportunities for growth.

— Kristin

The city skyline and a vacant lot
In the distance, beyond the rubbish heap at the center of town, stands the beautiful, domed National Bank of Angola