Donate to the Nomad Foundation

Loading…

Donate to one of our causes:

  • 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
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The NOMAD Foundation

seeking to balance cultural tradition...with economic opportunity

  • Home
  • Current Causes
    • Sponsor Students
    • Sponsor a Matrone
    • Buy an animal for a nomad
    • Drill the Well for Tamesna
    • Traditional Birth Attendant Training 2020
    • Motorcycle Repair Training
    • Cataract Mission
    • Nomad Gal Jewelry
  • Projects
    • Tamesna Center for Nomadic Life
    • Water
      • Wells
    • Food
      • Agricultural Development
      • Cereal Banks
    • Health
      • Medical Clinic
      • Traditional birth attendant and Healthcare Training
    • Education
      • Boarding School
      • Solar Fabrication and Installation
      • Schools
    • Work
      • Earthbag Building
      • Solar Fabrication and Installation
      • Women’s Co-ops
      • Herds
    • Mali projects
  • About
    • About the Nomad Foundation
    • Leslie Clark – Founder
    • Sidi Mamane – Niger Representative
    • Press
    • Nomad Board of Directors
    • Accomplishments
    • Awards and Grants
    • Friends and Partners
    • About Niger
  • Events
  • Newsletter
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Facebook

DONATE NOW

Tamesna Festival 2015

November 11, 2015 by leslieclark 1 Comment

 

The Tamesna Festival, held annually since 2013, is dedicated to young nomads: culture, peace and security.  The most vulnerable population in northern Niger are the young people who are heading into an adult life with few possibilities for earning a living.  They love their home and rarely want to leave, given the risks: crossing the largest and harshest desert in the world to arrive in countries in chaos like Libya and Nigeria, who have more wealth due to their oil production, but are lawless.  The activities open to them usually involve their knowledge of the desert.  This is attractive to drug and human traffickers and terrorists.  These young people, if they have no other opportunity are the greatest risk to the stability of the country. They are also its greatest potential asset.  That is why we want to attract their attention and encourage them to stay home.  The nomadic festivals are the only opportunity during the year when nomads can regroup and problems can be addressed and at the same time celebrate their rich culture.  This year the festival was a little smaller than last because our festival organizer was unexpectedly called to be mayor of Ingall.  This took too much of Sidi’s time and left not enough to organize the camels and some of the other cultural spectacles.  But the word was out to the youth to bring in their organizations to talk about and address their problems.

Invitationtamesa2015

Nomadic hospitality is legend.  Guests are king and the maximum effort must be made to make them comfortable.

IMG_8824

Tuareg tents were set up for people to sleep

 

Mattresses were delivered

Mattresses were delivered

Aya prepares a stew for the dignitaries.

Aya prepares a stew for the dignitaries.

Bahari prepares salads to accompany the stew for the dignitaries who will eat in our residence.

Bahari prepares salads to accompany the stew for the dignitaries who will eat in our residence.

IMG_8888

 

The entourage of the sultan arrives.

The entourage of the sultan arrives.

Gani dancers from Ingal

Gani dancers from Ingal

Me sitting with the dignitaries.

Me sitting with the dignitaries.

Discourse of the mayor of Ingall, our own Sidi.

Discourse of the mayor of Ingall, our own Sidi.

Screen Shot 2015-11-12 at 7.12.09 AM

For me the highlight was the theater put on by Tamesna students about the need to educate girls.

The main attraction for young nomads is the guitar which lasts all night. Hasso is a superstar in Niger and rocked until 2 am.  I was too tired to go but could listen from the comfort of my bed.

The main attraction for young nomads is the guitar which lasts all night. Hasso is a superstar in Niger and rocked until 2 am. I was too tired to go but could listen from the comfort of my bed.

 

Spread the Word:

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • More
  • WhatsApp
  • Email

Category General

Previous
Theater at Tamesna school
Next
Fighting terrorism with opportunity–Microcredit for at risk youth

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. louis de Ryckel

    November 12, 2015 at 1:11 am

    losque je vois ces images et vos commentaires je suis certain que vous contribuez à ameliorer la culture de la paix et à ecarter les dangers de la situation actuelle pour les jeunes; c’est vraiment res bien.
    Sans bien comprendre tout je m’explique vos réactions au sujet des informations que je vous ai envoyé sur ce fameux Sidi?Par ailleurs y a -ti d’autres ethnies présentes à ce festival je ne vois que des touaregs.je comprends aussi unpeumieux pourquoi quelqu’un comme Doula apprecie le maire .Il serait intéressant pour vous de faire une petite visite à Amaltaltal le 14 au 16 pour rencontrer les responsables des associations wodaabe qui se réunissent là et sentir l’atmosphère Louis

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

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

Niger

niger

Footer

Stay in Touch

We send occasional newsletters about our projects, events and efforts.

View the Nomad Gallery site

The Nomad Foundation, a US 501(c) 3 Corporation

Tax ID # 20-8170046

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.