Showing posts with label West; Africa; Niger; Sahara; desert; Tuareg; nomad; boy; carrying; baby; brother; fetching; water; indigenous; tribal; culture; anthropology: photo; photograph; image; picture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label West; Africa; Niger; Sahara; desert; Tuareg; nomad; boy; carrying; baby; brother; fetching; water; indigenous; tribal; culture; anthropology: photo; photograph; image; picture. Show all posts

Monday, May 26, 2014

Sahara: The Long Way To Water

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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