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The Kamono Group |
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Yadjangia, January 5, 2005 “The arid climate of the Sahel throws dust and grit into everything; into every pore, every breath and every bite of food. It is the dreaded dust-laden harmattan haze that blows southwest across the desert during the dry season. My hair is so stiff with dirt it breaks. I bathe outside, next to the toilet, (a simple hole in the ground) using a bucket filled with water our host has hauled from the well and warmed for me over an open fire. I am grateful for her efforts. Steam rises from the water in the morning air—it smells of ash and is so clouded with filth, I cannot see the bottom. I‘m careful not to get any in my mouth. I lather with a liquid eucalyptus-scented soap from a specialty shop in San Francisco since it is known to repel mosquitoes, and struggle with the fierce collision of odors amidst images of freshness. |
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The morning sky is brightening overhead since I am bathing behind a 6-foot high mud brick enclosure that offers privacy and protects me from wind and more dust. Off in the distance, women clap in time while pounding millet; farm animals call to each other, and salutations between villagers make up the early morning chorus of sounds. Dipping out the last of the smoky water, I rinse my body using a plastic cup and think about the Dogon girls and the harsh conditions they must endure. My feet are firmly planted on the rough board I am squatting on to prevent splash back from the ground. My sandals are already gritty and I wonder what difference it makes that my feet are clean. Warm water slides down my back as I study prints left in the mud by a small animal— probably looking to lick a bit of moisture during the night. My towel and clothing are precariously balanced on a small earthen ledge and I hope gravity doesn’t pull them to the ground. Giant ants search the mud. No wonder everyone and everything is so dusty here—it is really hard and labor intensive to stay clean. And not every mud brick house has a toilet or washroom. The one lent to us, has both and I feel lucky. Who brings water to the children for bathing? They must endure so much: including being dusty and dirty all the time and wearing the same clothing until it literally falls off their bodies. ” From my journal, Elisabeth Sunday |
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The Kamono Group Fund Information The Sol Project is a 510 (c) 3 and the nonprofit group administering the Kamono Group project created by Sahara Sunday Spain in January, 2001. Contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent under the law.
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