Third Goal

Celebrating MLK Day

I remember tuning in the shortwave radio to pull the celebration of the first nationally recognized holiday in Dr. King's memory.  The battery was taken from the moto for this day.  We sat under the little lemon tree in my parcel and I was awestruck - half a world away, in the land of my ancestors, on the day the United States finally honored him.  Tears streamed down my face as I began to explain in Tshiluba what this meant to me and millions of other African Americans.  My kids, who all cal...

Waiting

This photograph was taken during a cervical cancer screening training workshop I carried out in a hospital in Kita, Mali.  The woman depicted had volunteered to be screened during the practical session with doctors and midwives, and was waiting for her appointment.

Baby Doll

Women in Ghana carry their babies on their back. My favorite little girl, Yaa, would carry around her "baby"- a stalk of sugar cane- on her back as lovingly as any American child would carry a toy baby doll.

Anne Frank: Jewish by Tribe

Nativity Scene at Chikangawa

Years later, no participant will claim this to be their idea.  We wrote the character names on little pieces of paper (Jesus, Mary, wise man #1, angel #1, etc) placed the papers in a hat and drew rolls.  Each of us was allotted 15 minutes or so to put together a costume before making this photo.

Shooting the Moon

Staff members: playing cards amid afternoon prep.  For having grown up on a steady diet of knock-knock (aka Uno) my colleagues showed great enthusiasm for hearts and the dreaded queen of spades.

Roots Tour

Some friends and I went to the Roots Tour.  There, they did cultural displays for the tourists.  These Fulla boys had just been circumcised, and were dressed up in their post circumcision outfits.

My Alarm Clock

These three vultures would land on my roof every morning.  The sound of the claws on my corrugate roof (think fingernails on chalkboard) would wake me up every day.  I named them Lamin, Malamin and Mohanadou.

Next to the chief

My view in the chief's entryroom on the first day of Eid al-Fitr (the celebration of the end of Ramadan)

Snack time!

A typical snack in Niger - tastes like potato chips!