About

My name tells my story: Ariane Alzhara Kirtley. Like Ariane in Greek mythology, I endeavor to help lead others to safety. Like Alzhara flowers, I blossomed in the wondrous Saharan wastelands. And in the footsteps of my family Kirtley — “over those hills” in Old Gaelic – I am driven by a compulsion to walk, seeking new adventures, discoveries and meaning.

After obtaining a Bachelors in Anthropology and a Master of Public Health from Yale, I founded Amman Imman: Water is Life to help Africa’s indigenous populations. I am also the mother of Fassely, Soriya, and Indima. Similarly to how my parents raised my brother and me, we travel the globe as a family.

Along with being a humanitarian and mother, I have been a photographer and storyteller since 1999, sharing the beauty and incredible social wealth of the people and cultures I encounter.

My Queen of Queens

My Queen of Queens

MY QUEEN OF QUEENS: (fifth in the grandmother’s series/Mother’s Day in France!) She is my queen, my perfect angel and ...
Ariane En Sol Majeur

Interview on En Sol Majeur: Le Fil d’Ariane

(May 19, 2018) Journalist Yasmine Chouaki uses sound and music to creatively reveal the personality, aspirations and work of guests ...
Unrest Within Routine Or Introduction To The Recasement Quarter

Unrest Within Routine Or Introduction To The Recasement Quarter

In this photo I am walking toward the third laterite of the Recasement quarter in Niamey with my daughter, Indima ...
Abandoning the Baby Camel

Abandoning the Baby Camel

ABANDONING THE BABY CAMEL: In this photo, I am riding my camel with my Touareg father, Ahoudan, as we trek ...
The Sahara

The Sahara

THE SAHARA: Oh desert of the Sahara, your warm embrace has dried my tears time and time again... a wounded ...
Julia the Gorilla, My Best Friend

Julia the Gorilla, My Best Friend

JULIA THE GORILLA, MY BEST FRIEND: In this photo, I am playing with Julia the Gorilla, and my brother, Tercelin.  ...
The Wrestler

The Wrestler

THE WRESTLER:  In this photo, my brother Tercelin and I stand in awe in frount of a Senegalese wrestler before ...
The Escorts

The Escorts

In this photo, I am with my big brother Tercelin, surrounded by mask escorts of the Guere tribe in the ...
Kidnapped!

Kidnapped!

KIDNAPPED!  This is me as a little girl in the Ivory Coast, kidnapped by the “mask of comedy” of the ...
My Father the Visionary

My Father the Visionary

MY FATHER, THE VISIONARY:  In this photo, my father, Michael Kirtley, is dressed as a Touareg, and sits contemplating the ...
Ahoudan, My Touareg Father

Ahoudan, My Touareg Father

AHOUDAN, MY TOUAREG FATHER: Ahoudan is someone that if you continue to follow me, you will learn to know him ...
Alhassan

Alhassan

ALHASSAN: In this photo, one of my best friends, Alhassan, watches his son adoringly as he takes a nap.  Alhassan ...
The Birth of a Father

The Birth of a Father

THE BIRTH OF A FATHER :  In this photo, my husband Denis sits with our eldest son, Fassely, at a ...
Happy Mother's Day! Joyeuse Fete Des Meres!

Happy Mother’s Day! Joyeuse Fete Des Meres!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY ! JOYEUSE FETE DES MERES ! Today is mother’s day in France… being French-American allows me to ...
Predestined

Predestined

My destiny has been forged around the meanings of my name: Ariane Alzhara Kirtley ...