by Sarah Ravazza Lack of access to clean water negatively impacts many communities in Niger, including the Tuareg people, a nomadic tribe that inhabits the Sahara Desert. This ancient African tribe has been popping up in the news recently due to their involvement in uprisings and with various rebel groups. Although the reasons behind these… Read more »
Five West African Visual Artists that You Should Know
by Shayna Watson Every year, art collectors, admirers, and enthusiasts gather in New York during the first week of March for one of the world’s leading contemporary art fairs, Armory Show. An important event for the art world since 1913, this art fair has become increasingly interested in how technology and culture contribute to the… Read more »
Why I Stopped Taking Water for Granted
by Britt Lipson In 2013, I had a unique and life-changing experience. For most of the year, I volunteered at an orphanage school in Buea, Cameroon. No, it was not a mission trip or a study abroad year. No, I did not go with friends or family. No, I did not know anyone there. When… Read more »
Tracking Malnutrition in Africa
by Lilia Leung Malnutrition takes many forms. Did you know that you can be both overweight and malnourished? While many children today in both developing and developed countries are malnourished and overweight as a result of fast food culture, Africa is still overwhelmingly plagued by malnutrition in the form of stunting, wasting, and being underweight…. Read more »
Saving Money, Sharing Money
by Jennifer Dees Money adds up. As someone with a sweet tooth, I probably spend about $7 each week on sweets, sometimes planned, usually on a whim. I got curious about how much money that adds up to over a year: $336. Look, I’m not willing to cut sugar out of my life. I’d fight… Read more »
Niamey: Capital of Niger, and the Next Fashion Capital of the World?
by Shayna Watson Most of us have heard about the major fashion industry events that take place in the recognized fashion capitals like New York, Paris, London, and Milan. Emerging fashion designers flock to these cities in hopes of working with renowned designers, and gaining exposure for their art and talents. We have heard about… Read more »
One Tribe: The Representation of Race, Africa, and Women in Black Panther
by Jennifer Dees If it hadn’t been for the hype, I probably would have waited to see Black Panther at home. There have been more than enough Marvel films in the past few years, but it quickly became clear that Black Panther wasn’t just another superhero movie. It’s a celebration of black and African culture,… Read more »
New Year, New Hope
by Shayna Watson The village of Kobio is typical of many communities in the Tilaberi region of west Niger. Its people face many challenges as they try to create better lives for their children in the midst of poor conditions like recurring drought and famine. Women used to walk more than six miles to find… Read more »
Preserving Biodiversity and Protecting Livestock
by Jennifer Dees I have the neediest, pickiest cats in the world. To them, if the bowl is half-full, it might as well be empty. I figure they’ve got it pretty easy amongst the billions of other pets around the world. That got me thinking about what pets people own in Niger and the relationship… Read more »
New Years in Niger
by Stephanie Coles Like many of you, I spent the last week of 2017 contemplating what I would like to do differently in 2018. What goals should I set for myself? I jotted some notes down, but I was curious about what others were doing. I needed inspiration. Here is what I found. Last year,… Read more »
