Volcano village

The island of Fogo earned its name, which means fire in Portuguese, during a violent eruption in 1680. The volcanic blaze is said to have raged for several years and was visible from hundreds of kilometers away, serving as a navigation aid to ships sailing in that part of the Atlantic Ocean.

At the time, many people fled to neighboring Brava, setting the tone for the ebb and flow which has continued to refigure the island's population over the centuries. Nowadays Fogo is home to 55,000 people. Attracted by the fertile land and the promise of good harvest, some 1,200 inhabitants have settled in the village of Cha das Caldeiras at the foot of the Pico.

And in this age of adventurous holidays, residents there are beginning to catch on to the idea of turning volcanic ash into hard cash. Alcino, a young tour guide who has always been passionate about the Pico do Fogo, is one of about two dozen who frequently leads foreigners up and down the face of mountain.

"I love everything around the volcano and I don't think I could live far from here," Alcino told Deutsche Welle. "When I'm not working as a tour guide, I work the land or I work as a craftsman. I'm happy here and I really don't want to leave."

Poverty is relevant

The guide's attachment to the region is shared by many in the community of Cha das Caldeiras, despite the ever present threat of another eruption.

"Life here isn't easy," Alcino said. "But around here, wealth doesn't mean having money. Some people have a decent income, others have practically nothing, but no one on this island goes to bed hungry."

Although Alcindo and his fellow villagers, many of whom live off the land, wouldn't describe themselves as poor, the numbers at the Cape Verde Institute for Statistics tell a different story.

With 39 percent of the population of Fogo earning well below the national average, the island is officially one of the poorest in the archipelago. There is no running water or electricity, and the barter system is still widely used.

To counteract poverty, the government recently launched a national program designed to encourage locals to help themselves by looking beyond the boundaries of farming to earn their daily bread. And therein, the volcano plays a pivotal role.

Tourism and table wine

Local farmer Jose Antonio Fernandes is another resident who has recognized the potential of the giant that shadows his home. He got together with a friend to start a business renting accommodation to tourists.

"The volcano is a blessing for me because tourists come from far and wide to see it," Fernandes told Deutsche Welle. "They leave a bit of money for me and a bit for my friend, so we are both really happy that we have the volcano."

The room rental brings in around 4,600 euros ($5,600) each year, and Fernandes makes another 2,300 euros from the grapes he sells to a cooperative known for its Cha, a Fogo table wine.

Before the cooperative was founded, individual growers had to fend for themselves and had no choice but to accept the prices offered by big wine producers in the island's main city of Sao Filipe.

"I had to sell everything because I had no other choice," Fernandes said, adding that he sometimes only got 15 euros for a basket of grapes worth 400.

"Now that the cooperative is here things have improved, we want to plant more wine, we're more motivated."

Today, the co-op has more than 100 members, employs eight permanent workers and takes on another 20 casual laborers at harvest time.

Thinking big-time but not long-term

Rosando Monteiro is one of the leaders of the wine growers syndicate. The 29-year-old has always been interested in wine production, and like many people here, his family has a history of wine production.

"In a good year we can produce 100,000 to 150,000 liters," Monteiro told Deutsche Welle. "But there is still room to improve."

Cape Verde consumes two million bottles annually and the Cha co-op currently only produces some four or five percent of that. He would like to see an increase in output, but given the lack of water to irrigate the dry soil around the base of the volcano, forging a new future on this old land will not be a rocky process.

And although the national anti-poverty program is opening the way to greater prosperity, it contains one serious flaw, and that is education. While there is a primary school in the village of Cha das Caldeiras, attendance is not compulsory. What's more the nearest secondary school is a bus ride away, out of affordable reach for many parents.

Without solid education, the little community will likely continue to face uncertainty. But then, with an active volcano on their doorstep, that's something they are quite used to.

Reporters: Veronica Oliveira and Renate Krieger/tkw
Editor: Anke Rasper