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The NOMAD Foundation

seeking to balance cultural tradition...with economic opportunity

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leslieclark

Jewelry

November 6, 2014 by leslieclark 10 Comments

Still in mourning about having to cancel all our volunteers (see two previous posts) and trying to recover. I thought I would be coming home early, but we have decided I am needed to help with the festival and have been granted permission to go with the President of the Regional Council of Agadez (the […]

But not giving up!

November 5, 2014 by leslieclark 3 Comments

The show must go on.  I know many of you think I am crazy, but I truly believe that if we stand down in fear of violent people we only encourage their behavior.  I cannot become violent myself, but I can resist and gain ground for the peaceful ones.  So enough of melodrama… I was […]

Cancellation !%#*#!!

November 5, 2014 by leslieclark Leave a Comment

We should be out at Tamesna, well into our earth-bag building project, with foundations laid, 20 nomads participating in the construction of the dormitories and new teacher’s residence for the boarding school.  We should be awaiting the arrival of 20 new mid-wife trainees and the 4 previously trained matrons who were to conduct the training […]

Nomad News October 2014

October 23, 2014 by leslieclark 1 Comment

    2013 2012  

Traditions unchanged–Gerewol Tamaya

October 19, 2014 by leslieclark 2 Comments

After two days spent among the thousands of nomads gathered for the Worso of the Behame’en, Peroji’s lineage, we learned of another festival only a 2 hour drive away.  The Worso is a family gathering to which everyone brings their kids, houses and herds.  They are celebrating many things like the “humtu” or end of […]

Peroji’s family–then and now

October 19, 2014 by leslieclark 2 Comments

It was 20 years ago when I first met Peroji’s family.  Traveling on my first trip to Niger with my new friend Irma Turtle.  We were met at the airport by her friends Moneidji and Dula.  I saw both of their sons this trip, dancing in a Gerewol.  I have gone back to look at […]

Reunion at the Worso

October 18, 2014 by leslieclark 1 Comment

After a discouraging first week when we (the three star photographers) and I were able to find only one festival rehearsal, visit nomadic camps and a rather modern Tuareg wedding with electric guitar and few camels (some well dressed people though), we decided to switch our schedule and go out to the dunes for a […]

Wodaabe festivals

October 9, 2014 by leslieclark 1 Comment

I have been looking, with three very accomplished photographers of tribal people, for Wodaabe festivals–and having a lot of fun with my new camera–taking night shots is so much fun.

Getting through the strikes

October 4, 2014 by leslieclark 2 Comments

It is difficult enough to work in Niger without the added challenges of just getting there.  The saga began with driving all the way to LA airport and  getting turned away because of an “unconfirmed” reservation in spite of the ticket in my hand.  This ticket had been issued only two hours before because of my checking online […]

Tamesna school 2014

April 5, 2014 by leslieclark 5 Comments

The kids came back early from easter break to see me and show off their new skills.  We now have two classes but both are taught by one teacher as we have not found a good second teacher–hoping for next fall. There are 18 students in CI (cours initiative) or kindergarten and 26 in CP […]

Construction at the residence

April 2, 2014 by leslieclark 1 Comment

On my arrival at Tamesna visitor’s residence, the masons were hard at work trying to complete yet another round of repairs on our poorly constructed building.  We had two contractors do very mediocre work for which we continue to have to recover.  Although adobe in Niger is in need of frequent maintenance–the Tamesna residence has […]

Irrigation at the Tamesna Garden

April 2, 2014 by leslieclark 1 Comment

Last trip we tried to get the irrigation pipe installed so a type of drip irrigation could be used to make water use more efficient and increase the potential of the garden size.  We will string poly hose and at each plant put a screw all the way through the hose–this makes a hole which […]

Moringa bounty

March 23, 2014 by leslieclark 1 Comment

This is the very best season for moringa so we are starting to harvest from the big garden at ‘Ndoudou and the small one at my house in Agadez. We will pick every month and dry the harvest in the shade to preserve the vitamins, package it in small bags and make it available to […]

Onions!

March 22, 2014 by leslieclark 1 Comment

Our garden at Ndoudou has produced another good crop of onions, but the market is again VERY low.  So we have decided to try another tactic.  I got Aya and Bahari to chop a 50k sack of our onions and spread them on the roof terrace to dry.  We will test them to see how […]

Guinea Bissau–and some

March 21, 2014 by leslieclark 4 Comments

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

November 15, 2013 by leslieclark 2 Comments

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

November 15, 2013 by leslieclark 3 Comments

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

November 15, 2013 by leslieclark 3 Comments

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

November 15, 2013 by leslieclark 4 Comments

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

November 15, 2013 by leslieclark 2 Comments

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

November 15, 2013 by leslieclark Leave a Comment

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

November 15, 2013 by leslieclark 1 Comment

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

November 15, 2013 by leslieclark 1 Comment

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

November 15, 2013 by leslieclark 1 Comment

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

November 15, 2013 by leslieclark 1 Comment

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

November 9, 2013 by leslieclark

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

November 9, 2013 by leslieclark 3 Comments

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!

November 9, 2013 by leslieclark Leave a Comment

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

October 22, 2013 by leslieclark 2 Comments

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

October 16, 2013 by leslieclark Leave a Comment

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

October 13, 2013 by leslieclark Leave a Comment

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

September 22, 2013 by leslieclark Leave a Comment

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

June 23, 2013 by leslieclark 2 Comments

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

June 3, 2013 by leslieclark Leave a Comment

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

March 18, 2013 by leslieclark Leave a Comment

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

March 16, 2013 by leslieclark 1 Comment

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

December 8, 2012 by leslieclark 2 Comments

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

December 6, 2012 by leslieclark Leave a Comment

Every mission is a ton of work, but we manage to have a great time too…      

Volunteers–Sherri and Jennifer

December 5, 2012 by leslieclark Leave a Comment

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

December 4, 2012 by leslieclark 2 Comments

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 […]

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How To Help

  • Sponsor Students
  • Tamesna Center for Nomadic Life
  • Cataract Mission
  • Motorcycle Repair Training
  • Traditional Birth Attendant Training
  • Drill the Well for Tamesna
  • Buy an animal for a nomad
  • Buy Jewelry
  • Sponsor a Matrone

Posts From the Field

Friends running for Office

Help for Iferouane Students, Artisans, Seamstresses and Matrones

Malaria

Mission 2020–The work goes on during the pandemic

COVID-19 mission to the nomads

Our first local training mission in Iferouane

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