This is Saidou Mano with all his belongings. Unlike many brown men (homeless people) I run into in Niamey, he has a few items he can call his own. Most brown men have nothing but the clothes on their back. He has something else he can consider his. And this thing, we share; it is the Recasement Quarter, our neighborhood. While he does not have an actual roof over his head to call home, he considers Recasement his home, and never leaves it. Like me, he roams its streets, and finds comfort with familiar faces. He trusts that several of those faces will help him live from one day to the next. He finds leftovers from one family, gifts from friendly store owners, and a few coins from passers that have taken to like him. So in a way, he is not completely homeless. And yet, I do wonder what will happen to him the day he gets too sick to walk from one block to another. Already, he stumbles over his cane. His legs are so thin, it’s surprising that they can still carry his weight. But with a smile, and recognition from his “friends” he trusts in God to help him survive.
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