THE SURROGATE Matché is shaving her little brother Ibrahim’s head. A new mother herself (hence her black dress, as is custom among the Wodaabe), she cares for her siblings while her mother is away earning Read more…
Category: Motherhood
The Playmate
THE PLAYMATE Matché plays with Ousman as he tries to catch a bowl. He would like to drink from a container filled with water and medicinal plants. Matché has to limit the amount of water Read more…
Breastfeeding Before Eloping
BREASTFEEDING BEFORE ELOPING: (I’m reposting since this is one of my favorite motherhood photos) Kourgil is nursing her baby while she awaits the beginning of the Gerewol ceremony. If this were her firstborn, she would Read more…
The Teacher
The Teacher A mother is a teacher. She teaches what she knows, and transmits what she believes is right. And her child will teach her in return. Help her become an even better teacher, if Read more…
The Caregiver
The Caregiver This mother gives her daughter a sip of clean water for the first time. I can only imagine the sheer joy and pride she must feel to be able to offer this present. Read more…
Working Mothers
Working Mothers This post is dedicated to working mothers around the world. This Wodaabe mother busies herself making rope, with one babe in arm and her other children watching. This photo reminds me how, Read more…
Happy Mother’s Day
Happy Mother’s Day to mothers around the world. May this day celebrate every moment of motherhood, from the most amazing, to the funniest, the most devastating and challenging. I could not ask the universe for Read more…
A Deadly Drink
A DEADLY DRINK Againakou’s son drinks marsh water. While it is brackish and filth-ridden, she is happy to have the water to give her child. Much of the year, having any water at all is Read more…
Magic and Medicine
MAGIC AND MEDICINE The Wodaabe are known for their lore, magic, and medicine. Here a mother teaches her daughter how to make an amulet. Due to climate change and lack of rainfall, forests are disappearing Read more…