106meters

Grasshoppers for Dinner

Niger is full of grasshoppers. My friend’s son enjoys catching them just to show he can. Some villagers outside of Niamey gather the insects in the early morning when the grasshoppers can’t move too quickly. At home, they boil them, dry them in the sun, and then bring them to Niamey’s Katako market. Sautéed grasshopperContinue reading “Grasshoppers for Dinner”

Salt Caravan

While driving east out of Agadez one November day, we came across some Tuareg traders setting out on their annual trek across the Sahara to the small town of Fachi. A small handful of men undertake the arduous 29 day journey with camel herds reaching into the hundreds. Loaded on the backs of the camelsContinue reading “Salt Caravan”

The Edge of the Tenere

I will never forget sleeping under a desert sky full of crystalline stars. As I lay on my blanket arranged on the sand, the only sound I heard was an occasional breath of wind. The vastness of the empty space made me feel incredibly small. The silence amplified the size of the Earth and theContinue reading “The Edge of the Tenere”

Tuareg Dating

At the annual Cure Salée in July, the Tuareg and Wodaabe gather at In-Gall near Agadez for a month of camel racing and speed dating before the nomadic groups splinter off again into the dusty expanses of the Sahara and Sahel. One evening, the Tuareg gathered for the “dating wheel” in an empty expanse nearContinue reading “Tuareg Dating”

Land Nomads

Traveling near Agadez in July brings you across many caravans of people moving their cattle, sheep, goat, and camel herds across the greening desert. The herders take advantage of the shallow lakes produced by the seasonal rains that fall from April to August. Both people and animals congregate around the watering holes to quench theirContinue reading “Land Nomads”

River Nomads

As our narrow pirogue slipped through the Niger River, I looked out across the calm water reflecting the rosy hue of the evening sky. In the distance, four large pirogues glided silently towards us. Unlike our open passenger boat, these ones were piled high with sacks, buckets, goats, chickens, and one even had a motorcycleContinue reading “River Nomads”

Camel Racing

The Shiriken, or camel festival, takes place every Spring in Akoubounou, Niger – a small town near Abalak in the western part of the country. Tuaregs from the region gather for horse and camel racing, tende music and dancing, Tuareg blues under the stars, and people watching. Community leaders established the festival as a wayContinue reading “Camel Racing”

Agadez’s Grand Mosque

Entering the minaret, you crouch on all fours to pass through a small doorway. Grains of sand stick to your hands and bare feet as you crawl up the unevenly spaced dry mud stairs. It is pitch black. As you twist your way up the tight turns, bats take flight, skimming your shoulders and theContinue reading “Agadez’s Grand Mosque”

Djibo Boureima: Shop- keeper

I step into the shop made of metal sheets welded together. A clean-shaven man with a wide smile waves at me from his fortress of shelves piled high with candy bars, biscuits, cookies, 50 CFA bags of peanuts, and water bottles. Tinny music from a small T.V. perched atop a refrigerator by the door fillsContinue reading “Djibo Boureima: Shop- keeper”

Niamey Flood

Heavy rains across the Sahel have resulted in flooding along the Niger River. Local papers have reported at least 43 deaths and the destruction of thousands of homes and farms in affected areas. Several neighborhoods in Niamey, the capital, have been submerged since August 19th. Families are living at schools and mosques, surviving with whateverContinue reading “Niamey Flood”