In this photo, Abdoulkarim, gives water to our donkey, Zorro, while his children Hassana and Arouna observe him. Behind him, Hamza and his other son, Momine, construct their home. I met Abdoulkarim in 2015. We hired him several times to take Soriya on donkey walks around our neighborhood. The following year, we asked him if he would help us purchase a donkey, and care for him while we were away. He came back a few days later with a very old yet gentle donkey, Zorro, with which we shared many precious adventures until he died this past Spring. Abdoulkarim and I, not sharing a common language, speak through Hamza or Arouna. I find his sternness somewhat intimidating, and often fear that I’ve said something wrong or offending. And yet, he always ends our conversations with a big smile and “fofo”, which in this case means thank you instead of hello. Abdoulkarim works hard to pay his children’s school fees and support the livelihood of his six children and wife. He uses his donkey and cart to transport things, much like we would hire a U-Haul truck to move things in the USA.
Skip to content
