Off to Paris and Niger, Africa

Salt Lake City, UT

My husband Collie and I leave today for Paris and Niger, Africa, loaded with 200 lbs. of vitamins for the nomads, collected by Austin Stringham of Salt Lake City as his Eagle Scout Project. We will help set up a medical clinic on the ancient migratory route of the nomads.

After a three-night stop in Paris for a long delayed honeymoon, we fly to Niamey, the capitol city of Niger. We have three days to explore there before being joined by Dr. Skankey, a retired physician from Ojai, CA, where I grew up, and Courtney Hutcheson, a film maker. On September 11 we all catch a bush plane for Agadaz, the secondary capital of Niamey.

We will be met by Leslie Clark (a third cousin), founder of the Nomad Foundation, well known artist, and humanitarian. Leslie and the foundation are establishing the Center for Nomadic Life at Tamesna. Get the details at www.nomadfoundation.org. and read Leslie's blog at http://nomadfoundation.blogspot.com. Leslie says that the governor of Agadaz would like to meet and welcome us as the first Americans into the area after the recent 2-year war. After touring Agadaz, purchasing more vitamins and provisions for our time at the Center, we will drive about two hours to a spot in the desert near Ingall, our home for 10-days.

As Leslie described in her blog, two days ago Agadaz was devastated by severe flooding. Most of the buildings are adobe/mud. When the foundations become water soaked, they melt and collapse. Many residents of Agadaz are dead or missing.

With the war and the flood, I am very concerned for the many nomadic friends I made in Niger during my two-week visit three years ago. Niger is the poorest least developed country in the world, noted for the Valerie Palme scandal, war, drought, famine and the nomads, who live much as they have for hundreds of years. Twenty percent of women die in childbirth and 50% of infants. Life expectancy is only about 40 years.

On my previous visit I was awed by these handsome peoples, the men in their long cotton robes, faces wrapped in turbans veiling their faces. They rode camels across the desert draped with beautifully dyed leather bags carrying their goods, swords and lances flashing in the sunlight. As they drew near they sometimes wore a touch of the west - dark sunglasses! The women wore their hair in elaborate braids and unusual pompadours, signifying their age and status. Their midriffs were wrapped in beautifully patterned skirts, blouses and shawls were usually worn for modesty and to keep off the desert sun, lovely crafted silver jewelery ornamented their ears, necks, fingers and arms. They laughed easily with joy and looked for an excuse to drum and dance.

On my last visit I was a tourist, traveling 1200 miles in 4-wheel drive vehicles, sleeping in a tent in the dunes of the Sahara and among the blue marble of Aire Mountains. We visited Leslie's and the foundation's projects of wells, schools and granaries, honored at nomadic fetes, entertained by wild intense dances and drumming.

What will we find on this visit? How has the country changed? How have I changed? Will I see my nomadic friends, make new ones? How will my new husband, a humanitarian who volunteers three days a week in a hospital, a city man through and through, take to the primitive nature of this country and the mission?