RED RIBBON: MARIAMA
In this photo, Mariama proudly displays the red ribbon that I gave to her, upon my arrival back in Tangarwashane after almost a year away. Like her other girlfriends, she came running up to me chanting “Alzhara, Alzhara”, and cheered with glee when I pulled out a red ribbon for her and the other girls. They all immediately attached the ribbons in their braided hair, creating a harmonious unison of flowing red throughout the village. Read more…
RED RIBBON: MARIAMA
In this photo, three year old Mariama drinks clean water from the Tangarwashane borehole built by Amman Imman in 2007. She not only enjoys clean water, but ever since the borehole was built, she also gets to play with her older brothers and sisters that no longer undertake daylong expeditions searching for water. They have time for school and games. They can take baths year round, instead of bathing only during the one to three month rainy season. They have planted a school garden with Amman Imman’s staff, and have readily accessible food thanks to their community food bank. Read more…
FAIRY WATER FETCHERS: RIP RAICHATOU, WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU Raichatou and her group of little girl friends were my shadows during the first 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. Read more…
FAIRY WATER FETCHERS: SOUTOUT
“Please play with us,” Takat pleaded. I was busily writing up notes from the questionnaires I had conducted the previous day. She did not have to beg much… there was little I’d rather do than play with her and the other girls from camp. She took me by the hand and walked me to her donkey. She pointed to the goat hide water container… the Touareg traditional refridgerator… “let’s go get some water with the other girls”. Oh, so this was her idea of fun?! And it was! Read more…