On the Sands of the Sahara

AFBC Food Distribution

Anyone who gets our newsletter or regular updates has heard about what a bad year it is here. After two years of little to no rains and the severe lack of pasture that goes along with it, we knew that we were facing another food crisis, worse than that of 2005 which received international media attention. By the end of the hot season, cows that would normally sell for $500 in market were going for $10. Driving through the region you would see dead animals everywhere. Thankfully the rainy season did start (and is still going) although it seemed to come a little late farther up north. With the first big rain up north came flash floods which took many people’s remaining stock that had survived the hot season. Without their animals they have no means to buy food to feed their families. So now there is pasture, but many people don’t have animals to eat it. Environmentally speaking, it’s probably a good thing as the zone is over grazed, but for those individuals who have lost everything it is catastrophic.

In the midst of this catastrophe Arcata First Baptist Church gave $7,000 to help us feed the poorest of the poor. With that money we were able to buy a sack of millet, a sack of rice, and a 5 liter jug of oil each for 70 families. This will feed each family for approximately two months. The beneficiaries were from seven different sites, both Wodaabe and Tamasheq. Each one was more than grateful.

Some of the food waiting to be distributed.

Micah waiting to go out to the bush.

For security reasons, just to be on the safe side, we took armed guards out with us. They were quite taken with Micah

One of the grateful recipients.

“Signing” for their grain with their thumb prints

Micah helping with the distribution

There doesn’t seem to be an abundance of aid coming in and really the crisis is just beginning, or I guess you could say it continues. We call it post-crisis. We made it through the hot season and the rains and the pasture have come, but now many people are left with nothing. Next we will do what we can to help people re-stock their herds so that they can hopefully become once again self-sufficient.

Marcel

One night while Donnie was in Niamey we were talking on the phone, “I have a surprise for Micah,” he says, “but I’m not telling you what it is.” Ok, whatever. The week continued and I forgot about Micah’s surprise. It wasn’t until after he had gotten home, the truck was almost unloaded and then out jumped this little guy…

And then I remembered the surprise.

Keep in mind this is the same man who wouldn’t let me keep a puppy I found in the street. Anyone else see the irony here?

He seems to really like us, especially Micah. Sometimes he gets really excited and jumps up and down when he sees him. I’m sure if Micah could, he would do the same thing. Rest assured we supervise these monkey/baby interactions very closely.

Marcel has made himself at home on our porch. I have mixed feelings about the little guy, he is rather cute and has grown on me but he poops everywhere and now I can’t just let Micah go out on the porch to play. We untied him thinking he might decide that freedom is a beautiful thing but now he just climbs trees and wants to come in the house. I guess he’s gotten a bit attached to us.

Wedding Day\

Bride getting her hair braided while guests hang out and drink tea. At the end of the afternoon an entourage from the groom’s side will come and take her away.

Lunchtime at Zoua's

Micah Helps Make Tea

Lightning

We had an amazing lightning storm one night. Not much rain to speak of, but there was lightning for hours. The sky was lit up more than it was dark and I was walking around my house in the middle of the night without any lights on. Here are a few shots. I was a little scared to unlock my door and go outside and besides needed something to steady my camera on as I was shooting these with a shutter speed of 3 seconds, hence the screen.

Bright as day! This one looks like it struck the ground.

Happy Birthday Again!

Donnie came back from Tahoua last week with not one but two packages! The Sutters and the Fagundes’ had sent Micah some birthday presents (and a little love for us too!). The package from the Sutters was post-marked June 20th. On the front of that envelope was a little stamp that said…