Life will find a way...

1. I named her Maimaiki, or Surprise, after I met her at my hotel upon my arrival as this tiny little thing lead me to her three babies.
2. The sunset over the Niger River.
3. She earned the name Maigari, or Chief, being the only girl and definitely in charge of the litter.
4. If you think Minnesota thunderstorms are spectacular, you should experience the rain in Niger.
5. The sheep were eating carboard... life will find a way.
6. Just me, showing off my deluxe hut at the training site, electricity and all!

Rainy season in Niger- the time when you can clearly see how Africa is the soul of humanity.

I have been working training new volunteers since the end of June, catching up on my Hausa language skills, and generally, enjoying life here in Niger again. I've been living at the training site which is about 35 kilometers outside Niamey. When the 46 wide eyed recruits showed up in July, it was like deja vu. It's been an incredible experience watching them learn, adjust, and struggle through the turmoils and joys of life here. They will do wonderful things here, and for that, I'm so grateful.

Now that cell phones are common here, I've had the opportunity to talk to my villagers in Garin Maigari, tell them I'm here, and that I'm coming out east at the end of September. My chief said "Ina diban hanya don diyata." (I'm watching the road for my daughter.)

The millet is looking good in most of the country, all are anxious for the harvest, to say the least. Organizations have been distributing food throughout the country in the driest regions for a few months now. Animal prices are low as desperation peaks before the harvest. Prices should be back up in the Maradi region by early October when we start to open up our new Seeds of Hope Africa goat villages.

Stay tuned for more information as I will soon be posting our new Hausa language goat loan project name! We want the women to be able to identify their loan work with a name they can pronounce!

Allah bada alheri.

Zoulleha