Mine House

As a Peace Corps Volunteer, the village is required to provide a mud hut to their resident Volunteer for their 2+ year stay. My hut happened to be an existing one that was walled off from the rest of a family's "concession" or yard. After my service ended, the family opened the wall to again use the hut.

On previous visits, I had stayed in the vacant hut of my old neighbor's son. He is one of few in the village who secured an education and makes a living working for the Nigerien electrical company in the north.

This time, upon my homecoming, I entered the village and made my way to the "Maigari", the chief of the village, who calls me "diyata", my daughter. I find him sitting out under a tree near his house. He warmly greets me, and smiles abound as we find each other in health and happiness. The wave of relief again passes through me as it does with every return when I see him alive and well. I remember the many days I've spent sitting under this tree with him and the village elders in the past, learning Hausa proverbs, and learning about life.

I present him with a new digital watch I bought for him, explain the buttons,functions, and tell him that it is set to "kuka", cry, around 2pm, one of the five daily prayer times in Islam. I joke with him that it won't let him forget to pray, and he laughs. Last time I saw him, he brought out a Timex Ironman I had given him a few years earlier, wrapped up in a cloth and broken into about 10 pieces. During the rainy season, a wall had collapsed, the watch underneath. He took it to the watch/radio/anything that runs on batteries repairman to no avail. Needless to say, he was smitten with his new gift.

We continued to talk and share greetings, every few minutes repeating, "Kana lahiya?", "You're well, right?", in true Hausa fashion. He throws in a "Howa you? I'n fine.", to show me that he hasn't forgotten the English I taught him so many years ago. He then points to his concession where he lives with his family, and I notice an addition. "Dikinki" he says, and smirking with cleverness, he adds, "mine house, I'n goin to mine house."

It's for me.
He built his daughter a house.




Zoulleha
Seeds of Hope Africa
To the world you may be one person,
But to one person you may be the world.