Some Thoughts on the Ever-Accumulating Dust

I'm in Nattitangou writing a grant with my post-mate for an HIV/AIDS education workshop we are hoping to hold in February so I thought I would drop you all a few lines.

Harmattan has begun in earnest. This means that strong winds are blowing in from the northwest, bringing cool, dry weather and Saharan sands with them. In the practical terms of my day-to-day life this translates into very cold mornings, minor respiratory problems, and some of the dirtiest motorcyle rides I have ever experienced (aided and abetted by my entirely visor-less helmet).

Dust is everywhere.

And since we're nearing the heart of the dry season work in the fields has started slowly winding down--in its place controlled brush fires are set to drive out rodents and other animals for young men to hunt down and bludgeon with clubs (my friends have all promised to take me with them one of these days..).

Still in all, a few have predicted rough times ahead. The rains this past year have done quite a bit of damage--from the tearing down of mud-brick buildings and homes to the destruction of needed crops. Coupled with a widespread inaccessibilty to expensive fertilizer has meant a lower overall yield leading some to worry about the approaching scarcity of the dry season.

While very real, such warnings shouldn't be blown out of proportion: I hardly expect a famine. The real crisis is far more gradual and deeply rooted--the daily grind of poverty, made that much more difficult by a few added ecological and economic factors.