RED RIBBON: AISHA
Aisha is the daughter of Alhassan and Sadouan, and sister to Mouheini. I have posted several times on this family that is particularly close to my heart. They were my host family the first time I traveled to the Azawak and with their nomadic community (they have since settled into the village of Tangarwashane). Aisha’s father, Alhassan, traveled over 20 miles overnight the first night we met to find a goat to slaughter for me in the morning.
Little did he know that I am a vegetarian. I enjoyed the meat, to honor his extreme generosity. While they never insisted on serving me meat thereafter, they always cared for me as if I were their family, offering me everything they had.
Aisha, in this photo, is playing with the red ribbon I gave to her and all the girls in the community. While her friends wrapped the red ribbon in their hair, Aisha preferred to cuddle it as if it were a teddy bear.