In this photo, I am with my big brother Tercelin, surrounded by mask escorts of the Guere tribe in the Ivory Coast. (Soon thereafter, I was kidnapped by the mask of comedy). The escorts warn the arrival of a mask to the villagers by conducting cartwheels and other acrobatics. Read more…
KIDNAPPED! This is me as a little girl in the Ivory Coast, kidnapped by the “mask of comedy” of the Guéré tribe. My parents were working for Jeune Afrique, shooting photos for a book on the Ivory Coast, when the mask took me, and refused to return me to my parents unless they paid a ransom of $10.
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THE DOUBLE STANDARD: Soon after the construction of the Tangarwashane borehole, Denis and I called a village meeting to order. When I arrived, I was astounded to see that I was the only women. I asked, “where are all the women, particularly the women members of the management committee?”.
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HOPE: Before I end my “Children of the Azawak” series to move on to my “Father’s Day” series, I want to thank everyone who has joined this journey of love for humanity, and in particular, these gorgeous children. I hope that through their beauty, you have sensed their being, if only for a fraction of a second… that you have witnessed their dignity as much as their daily suffering. Read more…
THE ANASSARA (WHITE) GENIE: The day I encountered this child, I had spent the day driving through the wild grasslands of the Azawak. Evening was closing in, and Moustapha, my research assistant, was set on finding a Touareg camp to rest for the night. But before we found one, we spotted a Fulani family that had set up their camp near a ravine. I told Moustapha that I wanted to camp at this spot, near the family. I was excited to possibly interview them for my research. He was skeptical and displeased. He did not want to camp with these strangers. I insisted. Read more…
TWIN MAGIC: Twins in Niger, and among the Touaregs in particular, hold a special status. Giving birth to twins is considered a great honor. Twins are both feared and venerated, as they are considered to have magical powers. For instance, if you make a wish, you should think about a twin, because twins have the power to make wishes come true. If the wish is granted, you must offer a gift to the twin as a token of gratitude, otherwise a bad omen may befall you. Furthermore, NEVER doing anything bad to a twin, otherwise bad luck will haunt you as long as you have not regained the trust of the twin you have hurt or dishonored. Read more…