Water here, in Niger, in a Saharan Tuareg camp, is no more than a mirage
on the distant horizon. This Tuareg boy is on his way to ask relatives living in
another tent for a drink of water—in case, unlike his parents, they haven’t run
out of water as well.
The well is far from camp. An hour or two each way, riding a donkey.
Plus the hours-long wait in line behind other nomads watering vast herds of camels,
sheep, and goats. Not a daily trip. In
fact, to delay the chore the boy’s family often drinks only milk during a day or
two after running out of water. Forget taking a bath. The scorching sun is
what takes care of germs.
The Tuareg and other nomads always camp far from wells. It protects
their privacy. And their animals find nothing to feed on over wide areas around
wells. The daily passage of herds cleans
them of the tiniest shoot of grass.
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