Travel Guide Ganvié

Ganvié is a lakeside town, built entirely on stilts, which has earned it the nickname of the Venice of Africa. The lake on which Ganvié is built is part of the Ouémé River delta, which originates in the north of the country and covers an area of nearly 26,000 hectares. Some 40,000 Toffinou, "inhabitants of the water", whose main activity is fishing, live in lake villages, of which Ganvié is by far the largest. As on dry land, this small town is structured in streets, neighborhoods and markets that can be reached by dugout canoe. Traditionally, the huts have a frame made of wooden poles on which braided branches or bamboo are fixed; they are topped with a thatched roof. At present, this habitat is losing some of its importance, gradually giving way to more heterogeneous constructions, with tin roofs and cement walls, which are much easier to maintain. Some artificial islands have also been created here and there by the inhabitants, to teach their children to walk. Because, previously, a lagoon dweller was diminished when arriving on the mainland. He had little or no ability to stand, and was stigmatized by his compatriots who recognized him by his gait.In recent years, the government has launched an ambitious program of preservation and renovation of the lake city. There are many projects, including the construction of a road adapted to the numerous floods, the rehabilitation of the pier and the fish market, but especially the connection of houses to the public water and electricity networks. Life should therefore change radically for the inhabitants of Ganvié