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| Fulani Nomads of Niger |
What a wonderful surprise for a Monday morning! Last March I was invited to the University of Wisconsin - Madison for the celebration of Peace Corps Africa: Honoring 50 Years. I joined with Peace Corps poets Derek Burleson, Sandy Meek, and Anne Neelon to read our poems and be part of the Peace Corps gala celebration in downtown Madison.
One of the high points for me was reconnecting with James Delehanty whom I had lost touch with in the intervening twenty-five years since we both left Niger. Jim was a Fulbrighter who had previously been in Peace Corps Niger and now as a graduate student was returning to Zinder and its environs. Jim invited me to be part of the Story Corps project. As it turned out, we met for the first time in twenty-five years just outside the recording room, moments before our air time. This week five stories from our time in Wisconsin were chosen to air on Wisconsin Public Radio. You can click on the link below to hear all five. What an odd and magical world where my life with Fulani nomads twenty-five years ago can now be broadcast around the world via internet. Perhaps Dari, Yabide, or Sa-ha might even hear this...
Here is an easier link to use. Click here!
 Enlarge | Susan Rich of Seattle and James Delehanty of Madison. They are friends who served in Niger about 25 years ago.
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Congratulations. I love Story Corps.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Meriwether, it was a key experience in how I understand the world. I love the fact that the Fulani boys I worked with are now getting a moment of "fame."
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