Loading ...a moving day
Light & Lively Greetings!
This latest photo gallery is of something most Westerners tend to dread, but the unencumbered nomadic Wodaabe people do often and with ease:
https://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Moving-Day
Wishing you ease of movement always!
GoldBalloon
I have questions GB
1…where do they get water ?
2…Do you think they use money for anything ?
3…How does Elena Compensate them ?
4…How is the internet connection out there ?
5…How come everywhere you go there are Donkeys ?
🙂
6…No Outhouse ?
1…where do they get water ?
Of course, this varies. The short answer is there’s adequate water. Their moves are not only with grass in mind, but also water. Bear in mind this isn’t water that I would drink without filtering or treating, but the local people do.
2…Do you think they use money for anything ?
Yes, they use money, but I understand this to be the smaller part of what the Wodaabe have in value, which is the cattle ON (not in) the bank (of the river).
3…How does Elena Compensate them ?
Again, I don’t know exactly and am not sure of the full extent of compensation, but I understood dry goods (rice, etc.) were given to the people in exchange for allowing us to hang out with them. They didn’t put on a show for us, but did what they do whether or not outsiders are watching. i got the feeling that if I had shown up in a Wodaabe camp, they would have accepted me without any need for compensation. Elena iss Italian and work for the company, which has decades of good relationships in Chad. They want to make sure the relationship continues to be healthy, so they give enough to the locals without shooting themselves in the foot.
4…How is the internet connection out there ?
No internet out there, only in the bigger towns.
5…How come everywhere you go there are Donkeys ? ?
What has taken you so long to ask??? I ONLY go where there are donkeys, so there will always be at least a few donkey photos to keep you happy 😉
6…No Outhouse ?
As you would guess, the Wodaabe don’t use outhouses. Because we were camped in one spot for five days, our group had two simple latrines. Once we moved, each person did their own thing, as was the case on the two-week trip that followed this one, where we moved each day.
Any more questions? You’ll have to pay in silver or gold for answers haha!
LOL and WOW
Is all I can say 🙂
The Wodaabe never pay on a mortgage, or need to buy house insurance. They don’t own a car, so no car insurance or maintenance costs. They don’t have a driver’s license, never had a traffic ticket, and probably don’t pay income tax.
I doubt they own gold or silver, have a closet full of shoes, or keep a pile of too tight blue jeans in the back of the closet for the day they lose another 10 pounds.
Their health is excellent, their teeth white as pearls. And the smiles! They radiate pure joy.
What a life! It’s wonderful.
All true, silver fox. There’s a lot more that could be said about them, but one thing that must be on the list is the reason we visited them when we did, to witness the Gerewol festival:
During these annual tribal gatherings, the men take the opportunity to show off their beauty in the celebration of the feast, a crucial time for exchanging news and for weaving new friendships and love relationships. In fact, the Wodaabe are polygamous, but only the first marriage is arranged by families according to traditional rules; instead, during the Gerewol festival spontaneous bonds develop into permanent or one-night relationships. Very interesting and crucial is the role of young women: they will be the ones to choose the mate of a night or life, even breaking pre-existing ties.