I have finally arrived in Agadez after a tour of no less than 11 west African airports–a long boring story–and not a fun exploration–just trying to get from one point to another–the points happened to be places nobody else wanted to go–so lots of stops in between: Bissau, Dakar, Bamako, Conakry, Lome, Cotonou, Niamey, Maradi, […]
Making a movie
Benedicte Schoyen was determined to make a movie about the Nomad Foundation and travel with me and her husband Ned to Niger to shoot it—and she did. We talked about it for years and it has finally happened. She and Cooper Bates were the cameramen and Ned the sound man. As we travelled and worked […]
Extraordinary volunteers
This trip was made with a group of eleven people: 8 volunteers, (seven of whom were rotarians) and 3 film crew. Front row: Bahari, Aboli, Aghali bob, Sidi, Alhassane, Hasso, Aghali 2 Back row: Linda Lamb, Rene Briggs, Ned Clark, Linda Taylor, Larry Beckett, Benedicte Schoyen, Leslie Clark, Louine Skankey, Bob Davis, Bob Skankey, Dana […]
The Tenere Desert
The Tenere Desert is for me the most powerful place on the planet. It is pristine and dangerous. A voyage there is mostly an inner voyage where your thoughts become clear and unpolluted with distraction. It is a great joy when I am able to show it to my friends.
Iferouane
Iferouane is the gate to the Tenere desert. It was always a prosperous town full of artisans and gardeners. The location was one that all tourists would pass by and so a thriving community of jewelers and leatherworkers grew and a small museum was built. In January of 2007, it was the site of the […]
Party at Aboye
After all our work was done we headed for the desert: a region we had not been able to visit since 2007. On the way we stopped at Aboye, checked on the matrone, and had a party for the people there. When we arrived and they saw who was with us: tuareg guitarists Hasso and […]
Grand Opening Festival for Tamesna Center for nomadic life
After almost five years of work the Tamesna Center had its grand opening. We wanted to celebrate and to announce our presence officially so that the government will participate in or take over some of the programs. Our goal is for the center to be managed locally. It will be a gradual change over, with […]
Larry Beckett’s Handwashing stations
As part of a pediatric outreach program to provide better preventive care for children, Larry Beckett devised and instructed the various communities we visited in necessity for handwashing. He drilled small holes in the lids of the bottles we provided, to conserve precious water, attached a bar of soap and showed a responsible person from […]
Bob Skankey’s Mid-wife follow up
Dr. Bob Skankey has been directing a midwife program which serves the nomadic population since 2011. The women he has trained have proven invaluable to their communities. At the level of training they have received, they are called “matrones” in Niger. This mission was to refresh the skills that the women have acquired, replenish […]
Eyeglasses from Eyes on Africa
Eyes on Africa, once again generously donated 12 dozen pairs of eyeglasses of various magnifications which we distribute at the clinic. We also take them on our mobile missions. The women at Foudouk are particularly in need of them because they do so much fine embroidery work. Linda Lamb, Rene Briggs and Linda Taylor took […]
Linda Taylor’s Painting programs
Linda Taylor a well known artist, educator and Rotarian from Ojai West provided materials and devised arts programs for the kids at Tamesna. The first was a large painting based on the outlines of several of their shadows. She prepared the canvas and mixed the paint and then let them go for it. The shadow […]
Linda Lamb’s programs
Linda Lamb, an old friend and longtime volunteer for the foundation is a teacher by trade and devised some programs for the kids at Tamesna. She is always immediately accepted and liked by the nomads we visit so it was not hard for her to get the kids attention. She started with maps–they recognized Niger, […]
Cooper Bates’ Student Photography Program
Five students at Tamesna School were chosen to lead groups to take a series of photos of their lives. Cooper brought cameras that were issued to them for a day. Halela, Almoustapha, Ahmed, Aghali and Ibrahim took their cameras and were off for the day. When they turned in their cameras the next day, Cooper […]
Tamesna School Opens–Yippeee!
After operating for a year in a temporary structure, the new permanent school building was completed in time to open a little before the schools in the bush normally open on Nov. 1, but the kids came and were free to do the programs we brought. There are 35 so far but we expect more […]
Benedicte’s Dance program at Tamesna
The film crew arrived headed by Benedicte Schoyen–who is demonstrating dance to the studensts at the school. being filmed by Cooper Bates well attired in a turban. Bennie first did a demonstration, then taught the whole class the chicken dance–which much to our chagrin stuck in our heads for several days. Then she chose several […]
The Film Crew Arrives
After a week of organization–preparing the residence for an onslaught of guests, Linda Lamb and I welcomed the film crew consisting of Benedicte Schoyen, Ned Clark and Cooper Bates. After three days on the road from Los Angeles, they didn’t miss a beat. Bennie got acquainted our security first. Then we visited a […]
Wodaabe Splendor
We are here in Niger awaiting the arrival of the film crew and had a couple of days so–hearing about a big Wodaabe festival, we decided to check it out. With our 20 man security team ahead and behind we arrived and actually found the festival. Fortunately many old friends were there–it was a Gerewol […]
NOMAD African Market Sale
We had a wonderful day full of old friends dropping by and new friends coming in. Sidi arrived at 10:30 the night before, but valiantly made tea for his old and new friends and practiced English. Tea and conversation with Kent Butler’s cow. Sherry Grigsby from Eyes on Africa came by and dropped off a […]
The Day at the Ranch
Perfect weather, exercise in the fresh air, good food, lively music, and interesting people–what more could you ask for? Saturday June 22 we took the first step to making a film which will tell a story of the Nomad Foundation’s work among nomads in Niger. Our goal is to help them adapt to the modern […]
A Day at the Ranch
Purchase tickets here You are invited to experience old California Your day at the Ranch starts atNOMAD Gallery 307 E. Ojai Ave. Ojai, CA for champagne 12:00 Saturday June 22, 2013 1 pm caravan to Rancho Del Cielo an historic ranch in Ojai. Park at the old ranch house and hike to the top of the […]
Tamesna School
It was so disappointing not to be able to go out to see the school, but I sent Sidi out with a camera and he came back with reports. I spoke to the teacher who says the kids are doing well. When I saw the photos with all the kids learning so fast–it made me […]
Niger Mission Cancelled–but not completely–life in Agadez
It was with terrible sadness that I had to cancel our medical mission scheduled in February. We were to wind up the 2nd phase of midwife training with follow up training in the individual mobile communities of the nine midwives who had received training. Dr. Bob Skankey, his wife Louine, and Linda Lamb were to […]
Sheri Hanna–a volunteer’s experience
At the end of each trip, I ask the volunteers to let me post something they have written about their experience. Here is Sheri Hanna’s contribution… I’ve been searching for words to describe my recent trip volunteering with the Nomad Foundation. However, it seemed that mere words couldn’t convey the experience well enough, as it […]
A Final note
Every mission is a ton of work, but we manage to have a great time too…
Volunteers–Sherri and Jennifer
We are lucky to have volunteers join us for each trip. This time we had two great ones–Sherri Hanna and Jennifer Hall. Sherri had been to Niger because she breeds and raises Fennec foxes who inhabit the Sahara in Niger and and visited with the Sahara Conservation fund. She wanted to go back to experience […]
Tamesna school opens
Thirty three smiling children and their parents gathered recently at the TAMESNA Center for Nomadic Life for the first day of class at the foundation’s new elementary school on Nov. 20. Now operating in a temporary thatched structure, the school will soon grow into a boarding school with an extensive garden, kitchen, dormitories, a […]
Mobile outreach
The matrones all went home to their mobile communities–wherever they are–and we started the second half of our mission: to visit each community to have a follow up session with actual patients and to inform the community of the capabilities of the matrons in order to get them to support the program. We visited the […]
Graduation of matrons
After a week of very intense training the matrones were tested and proved they were competent with all the major points. The key to the program after our departure is Ali. He will follow up with them in their own communities and be available by phone. (A telephone and solar charger were part of the […]
Delivering the babies
The next day Dr. Bob covered normal delivery using a pelvic mannequin. Before we got some good lubricant I got to be the “mom” and push the baby out. I guess it wasn’t as hard as a real birth, but boy was it a struggle. Then each matron got to give it a try… BBecause […]
First day of training
Six new midwife trainees (called matrons in Niger) arrived for a training session conducted by Dr. Bob Skankey, Achicha, Ali, the nurse practitioner who runs the clinic, with the help of the three previously trained matrons. The new group had a lot of practical experience, but no training. All have seen women die from post […]
Meet the Matrones–the first day of training
While the cars and motorcycles went out in all directions to pick up the new midwife trainees, called “matrones” in Niger, we prepared their bags and Louine packaged their medicine. The new trainees arrived… The matrones who were previously trained are: Bye for now,
Arrival Nov. 2012
The strays finally got here after their cancelled flight and we spent only a lunch time at the beautifully prepared house in Agadez—so much for all THAT work. But that is not what the mission is about. We arrived late at the clinic since our military escort was late and wanted to shop in Agadez. […]
Ipod the puppy
While waiting for the volunteers to arrive we have had some entertainment. Alhassane got a puppy for his nepthew Malik (Sidi’s son) and he has been entertaining us for the day. Alhassane named him ipod because he knows Opal my dog in California, who is a girl. He calls her Ipal (pronounced Eyepol) and he […]
Departure?? maybe not
Things are going in typical African fashion. Dr. Skankey and the volunteers (sounds kind of like a musical group) were sitting in the plane when he called and said ’We are about to take off” in a few minutes he called back to say that they had gotten off the plane and would be taking […]
Agadez–getting ready for the mission
I have been in Niger almost a week and not doing anything picturesque…repairing plumbing and electricity so the house will function when the volunteers arrive. The toilets were repaired and function pretty well, but now the pipes that feed them leak. Everytime I come the electric fixtures need replacing or wiring done. The plumbing and […]
Wodaabe Assembly
From the Cure Salee, we went to the National Assembly of Wodaabe at Tagoudoumt. We were not the only ones going from one party to another. This couple was on their way from the Cure Salee to the Assemblee at Tagoudoumt. Is she a stolen bride?? Here a group of young men are headed […]
Solar Exhibition
At the Cure Salee we set up a stand to show the products of Nomade Energie. Arnold explained the potential, charged some cel phones and sold two “Unite to Lights”. We were visited by two cabinet ministers and thanked for our work. Its a start.
Cure Salee– a nomadic (Tuareg and Wodaabe) celebration
The Cure Salee is held every year after the rainy season, in the town of Ingall as an opportunity for the nomads to gather to celebrate the rains–if there are no rains–no festival. This year the rains were extraordinary–a very good thing for the nomads who will have good pasture all year, but many people […]
Wedding of Assadek
I was invited to a rather large wedding. Tuareg weddings usually go for several days. The modern adaptations don’t have the glorious camel parades of the bush, but they always have a Tuareg guitar. Fashion changes and the traditional clothing is no longer worn by the women at many city weddings, but the men are […]
Arrival in Agadez
I got to Niger a week ago and have been doing all the very uninteresting things that need to be done in order to get out to do the interesting things. Translation–I have been organizing the trip, car and house maintenance, security, repairing equipment, making reservations, meetings and running around. I’ve had fun creating a […]
