N'DEBOUGOU is the village where David lives.
With his dog, Kittykat (note white marking on side), in a relatively new house.
A niece of Bonkana's, Rawata, is his household helper
She took me across the street to meet two of her friends, who were making "tou", a millet-based dough.
This is not "tou", but rice with a sauce on it.
Much of the neighboring houses are made with adobe block.
To make adobe, find a pit of appropriate earth, add water...
...chop the earth, add straw, then water, mix well. Place in mold...
...pat firmly, remove mold.
Leave blocks in place, allow sun to dry, pile on wagon and take to customer.
Where blocks are laid up using a mortar of same clay, straw and water.
When finished, a parging of the clay protecs the block from the monsoon rains, but the coating will wash away. It becomes an annual event.
As incomes allow, and desire to build higher grows, concrete blocks, or concrete frame with brick infill, has become more and more popular.
Ibrahim Beta, mason.
Towns and villages are connected by "mini-buses", stopping at markets.
The market on a non-market day is quiet.
With few customer at the men's clothing store.
And there are always lots of men hanging around, waiting for, in this case, a vehicle needing repairs.
What about these kids, on their way to school? Will they find work?
It seems they do not want to be late...
...for the morning roll call.
This was the perfect place to give the box of pens and pencils I brought with me.
Wherever there is water, canal, river, well, there are women doing washing.
