Binta's father is a small-time, local fisherman in a peaceful village (near the town of Bignona) in Senegal.

He tells him that the Europeans can catch thousands of fish with bigger boats equipped with sonar.

The man, very impressed by this, encourages the father to approach the government and request a permit for a bigger boat.

Binta's father is shown making his way up through the ranks of government, sharing his great ideas with various officials.

Finally, when Binta's father meets with the provincial leader, it is revealed what his great idea was: he wants do his part to make the world a better place by adopting a tubab (white child), "preferably weaned", to teach him or her qualities that Western industrialized society has largely lost, such as sharing, solidarity, and the sustainable use of resources.