The Teacher
A mother is a teacher. She teaches what she knows, and transmits what she believes is right. And her child will teach her in return. Help her become an even better teacher, if she is open to the wisdom of her child. This exchange between mother and child can be among the most rewarding, the most transcending and growth-provoking. In this photo, Djoule, a Wodaabe mother milks the family cattle with the help of her son, Elfi. She has taught him and all her children the herding tradition, albeit she worries that this custom will be lost within a generation or two. With little rainfall and lack of water, much of their cattle has died. She is concerned… what will she teach her children then? She dreads the day when centuries old traditions will be a distant memory. Then she will rely on her childrens’ ability to adapt, ever resilient to their changing world.