Wodaabe Fathering

WODAABE FATHERING: If the pygmy is considered the best dad in the world, then the Wodaabe Fulani father doesn’t fall too far behind in ranking.  One saying among the Fulani men is “you start living when you’ve been pooped on by a child”… hmmm… In many Wodaabe communities, childrearing falls completely in their hands for large parts of the year. Read more…

Ndima, The Forest

NDIMA, THE FOREST: Ndima, a BaAka pygmy, sits with his wife and child, who plays with a chord that Ndima just finished making.  The rope will be used to make a traditional hunting net. Ndima, whose name means “the forest”, was very special to me. True to his name, he incarnated the forest and was a true master of the jungle. He knew it’s every secret.  Read more…