by Meghan Rees Super Bowl LII: Tom Brady. Nick Foles. Justin Timberlake. We all know the Sunday superstars who took the field and entertained us at halftime. But the Patriots and Eagles weren’t the only ones scoring touchdowns in last night’s game. The Super Bowl is known for airing new commercials with innovative perspectives and… 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 »
Africa: Worthy of Our Respect
By Barbara Goldberg The muck and mire of partisan politics is no place for a nonprofit like ours, but the remarks by our president regarding the countries of Africa cannot be ignored. They are NOT s___hole countries! As true with anything in life, first-hand knowledge and experience reign supreme in making judgements like this one… Read more »
The Hangandi Festival: Celebrating Body Positivity in Niger
By Shayna Watson After months of training, the women of the West African Djerma group are ready to compete in the traditional Hangandi Festival. The winner takes home prizes, bragging rights, and the most coveted prize of all – food. Unlike the popular beauty pageants lauded around the world, the Hangandi is looking for the… Read more »
Giving During the Holidays
by Stephanie Coles If you are like me, you may occasionally find yourself facing an overwhelming feeling of helplessness in times of great crisis. Watching the news or reading the morning’s headlines can leave me paralyzed, unable to think of a response that could possibly make a difference. It’s so easy to feel small during… Read more »
Girl Power: Courting In Niger & The Annual Gerewol Festival
by Shayna Watson Gorgeously colored gowns, perfect face paint and enough gold to outshine the West African sun. All the trappings of a typical beauty pageant, except the women in the village are dressed in all black and standing in line waiting for the event to begin. Many cultures around the world follow the heteronormative… Read more »
Tourism Potential in Niger
by Jennifer Dees Picture a place rich in natural beauty with sunny, clear days and brilliant stars lighting the night sky over desert cities. High sand dunes glow golden; beneath them, dinosaur bones have rested for millions of years. Think of herds of giraffes and elephants, and lions prowling in the savanaa. Imagine millennia-old engravings… Read more »
Preschooler’s Water PSA
A quick PSA from blogger Andrea Levin’s daughter Lily: Back in 2010, two years before the California drought officially started, we had already attempted to teach our then 4-year-old daughter the importance of water conservation. Apparently, it worked because one day my husband turned the camera on her and she launched into this unscripted water… Read more »
More Than We Know: Discovering Nigerien Culture Through Art
By Jennifer Dees As a writer, I feel that identity is tied to art. I’ve wondered at the painter’s mind while staring at furious strokes of color. I’ve watched musicians lose themselves in a powerful song. And I’ve seen dance movements that express more than words ever could. So I set out to discover female… Read more »
What Sets Wells Bring Hope Apart
by Andi Claman In my community, there are many opportunities to get involved. So why did I choose to dedicate my time to Wells Bring Hope? At Chadwick High School, we call our Club Fair “Clubaganza.” It consists of dozens of tables decorated with posters and baked goods lined up along our main lawn, each… Read more »
