THE FAMILY PORTRAIT: In this photo, you can see Alhassan with his wife, Sadouan, and their children. Mouheini, who you might remember from another photo, is their eldest child. She was not present when this photo was taken, given that she was in her husband’s camp tending to her own children.
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THE INTRICACIES OF HUMANITARIANISM: I would like to return to my second to last post, where I discuss cultural differences among Niger’s various ethnic groups. As a humanitarian ethnographer, and head of an NGO, understanding such differences is crucial for having maximum impact on people’s lives. In a country like Niger, with over eight different ethnic groups, applying a “one size fits all” approach to development is doomed for disaster. Read more…
POPULARITY CONTEST: In this photo Deegii, a Wodaabe Fulani man, admires himself as he prepares himself for the Gerewul dance, a traditional Fulani “popularity contest” or male beauty pageant. The Fulani are obsessed with beauty, and men are equally, if not more coquettish than their female counterparts. Read more…