Christine screams at night, haunted by her nightmares. As April 7th approaches, she curls up into a ball and stays that way for the next week. 30 years ago, she lost everyone. Her husband, children, even neighbors. Memories tear the healed wounds wide open. The same thing repeats, year after year. In early April, the […]

– What do you do in times of war? – We help Grace brush her teeth. I would show you photos, but taking photos during the war isn’t allowed. It could get you shot. It has happened to a few already. You have to be very careful. – Our supplies are dwindling. Everyone is eagerly […]

Today in Senegal, entire families are preparing Ngalakh. They are preparing it but won’t eat it yet. Only after the Passion Play, after the burial of Jesus, Christians gather and in the spirit of mourning share Ngalakh with Muslims. It symbolizes the harmony that transcends differences between their religions. Ngalakh is a type of dessert […]

“It is a good sign if the child is crying. It signals that their strength is returning, that they have the energy to show they are suffering. Hunger kills in silence.” “Why do people here starve?” “Hunger has always been present in the Sahara. The desert is not welcoming. It has nothing to offer. It […]

[…] Dakar is, of course, famous for its Car Rapide. They are colorful buses, lacking windows and comforts, looking as if they’ve just fallen from the sky. Their presence on the streets of Dakar is a tale of how they survived that fall. They are an important symbol, coughing black fumes into the soul of […]

The Sahara is both beautiful and harsh. It commands respect. Tourists, who visit briefly, see its beauty but don’t grasp how harsh it is. For those who know no other climate, life here is easier. They understand that one does not argue with the desert. Any form of disobedience carries severe consequences. Slavery doesn’t need […]

Marie-Odile has a charming smile. It’s delicate, subtle, and very feminine. She usually sits on a bench in the park in front of the Franciscan Sisters’ school in Dakar. Marie-Odile’s shyness and her smile show her gentleness. Among her friends, she feels at ease. She treats new people with a slight hint of mistrust. With […]

“Where are we going today?” “Not far.” “So, same place as yesterday?” I tease Abdullah because in Mauritania everything is either “far” or “not far”. That’s the local way of measuring distance. You can’t make a Moor count kilometers. After a week in Mauritania, I lose faith in kilometers and watches. Abdullah is our compass. […]