After finishing up at Tamesna we headed out for the great unknown–even though I have been there many times, there are always many unknowns when you go to the dunes–(like are we going to get back alive!) First we were taking our training to a new group of women. We took along one of our experienced matrones, Fatima, to help us, thinking they would be more comfortable with a nomad who has been through the training. We also brought Moussa, our token male member who is valuable in helping us interpret and testing the comprehension of the students. For both of them who have lived as nomads nearby all their lives, they had never seen the dunes, or the mountains of the Air. Fatima is Moussa’s mother-in-law, so he took special care of her.
We took off from Tamesna in the afternoon for the 1 1/2 day drive over the most rugged terrain–jagged rocks, rubble, sand, dust–nothing that could be mistaken for a road. At the end of the second day we roll into Iferouane and see a crowd assembled to greet us with a song, dance and (very welcome) cold drinks!
Aghali with a warm welcome-he has become the Nomad Foundation’s rep in Iferouane–organizing everything for us. He is also a brilliant jeweler.
Welcome to Iferouane
Iferouane set in the shadow of Mt. Tamgak is just on the other side of the mountain range from the grand erg of the Tenere–It is known as the gateway to the dunes.
Posing with the mayor if front of the town hall which they gave us to conduct the training
The students were fully engaged as one of them, Tan Alher, demonstrates clean and safe birth techniques.
Through four days of intensive training–every day at lunch we fall into exhausted sleep to build up energy for the afternoon.
But Moussa helps out with a bracing jolt of Tuareg tea.
The matrones are delighted when presented with their medical bags and supplies.
But they must pass their final exam before they are given the medicine they have been trained to use.
A happy class, supplied and ready to work. Assalama delivered a baby the night we finished.
The next day we gave them all certificates of completion of the program.
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