MOUHEINI: Mouheini and her group of little girl friends were my shadows during the month that I lived with their nomadic community. They walked with me to neighboring camps as I conducted my Fulbright research, took me to visit marshes and wells, taught me traditional games and words of Tamachek, and ate illiwa by my side.
Mouheini is the daughter of Sadouan and Alhassan, my host family; they gave me their food and tent, fetched my water, and introduced me to the various cultures of the Azawak. @ammanimman built our first borehole in what has become their sedentary home, Tangarwashane. Today, these lovely girls have become mothers. In their culture, they marry their cousins as early at 13 or 14 years old.
Thanks to Amman Imman, Mouheini’s children are growing up with clean water, health care, school. We are working with the community to keep girls in school, and marry at a later age, so that they too can have the chance to gain an education.