Flooding, AGAIN?

In the last couple of weeks we have often reminisced about the devastating flood waters of the Niger River which broke through the dikes August 22, 2012, destroying homes and damaging property. Our national director and his family were forced to evacuate their home and move into our national office when their neighborhood became a second river.  Sahel Academy, where our daughter Lindsay taught, as well as the adjoining SIM mission property were severely flooded and damaged.  Last Sunday evening during our English church service we praised God, and watched a DVD of last year's flood and how God has graciously provided for the restoration of the two campuses.

Little did we know that our 2-inch rain on Thursday, the 29th, would almost immediately set in motion more flooding!

Thursday late afternoon, after an awesome rainy, cool day, my "water-loving" husband and I strolled the mile from our house to the bridge over the Niger River.  We wanted to watch the big canoes from Benin unload their mountains of pumpkin-squash on the dike on the river bank. This was about 4 p.m.

The change in the river just 3 hours later, at 7 p.m., was astronomical!  The dike north of the bridge was no longer visible and the green rice fields had totally disappeared!  This is the scene that greeted our eyes as we walked along the bridge early Friday morning:

The water level on the measuring pole used by the Niger River Basin Authority kept going up and up.

On Thursday night already, we had begun getting texts from our national director, Akora, saying that a dike further upstream had been breached and that the road in front of their house had once again become a river.  They were sandbagging to keep the water out of their yard.

On Friday morning we went to see them.  Water was up to their front gate but the sandbags were keeping it at bay.  Numerous neighbors who lived closer to the river had already lost their mud-brick homes as the rising waters "melted" them away.

Those who didn't want to "swim" could pay for a ride in the taxi canoe who ferried them across the expanse of water. 

Even the "lumber yard" down the highway from our house, which we affectionately call "Menards" was underwater, and men were frantically trying to float the wood to higher ground.

Tom and I were amazed to see that in spite of the rising water and limited space, the washer-men were still hard at work and the concrete bridge supports and metal railings were filled with river-washed clothes, as if nothing had changed!

By 7 pm last night (Friday the 30th) the flood waters stopped rising, and this morning, very early, "Weatherman Tom," reported that the water level at the measuring pole was down significantly from Thursday night's high reading.  We are grateful for God's protection over our national staff and the Sahel Academy school property.

I used to LOVE rainy days...now I'm not so sure.

P.S.  The Niger River waters are steadily decreasing, but the breached/broken dike up river has caused continued huge problems for Sahel Academy. Please continue to pray for strength and wisdom for those working there.  

Throwing Up Cement

It was the perfect late afternoon for a stroll down our road.  A lonely, bawling cow thought so as well and accompanied us for most of the mile, weaving in and out of traffic until she realized that the safest place for pedestrians is the sidewalk.  We walked at the same pace so we had a hard time getting rid of her.  She had evidently lost her herder and the rest of the pack.  

Anyway,  the purpose of the blog isn't bovine related, but a fascinating look at some local construction. A block or two from our house is a building site for a two-story cement brick building.  They have been making concrete blocks for months and have have now put it together to create this 2 story complex.

The scaffolding is all in place.

Check this out!  The cement gets mixed by hand on the ground and then somehow, it has to get from the ground to the roof.  

No problem.  The two men on the ground throw scoopfuls of the newly mixed cement from the ground to the first level.  The two on the first level scoop it up and throw it above their heads to the men on the second level, who in turn throw it to the third level, and finally it arrives on the roof, after having been scooped and thrown 4 times.  Wow!  that's hard work.

We saw the same process happening as we were passing by another building project with a smaller crew.

Fascinating way to build.

Ramadan's Grand Finale

The month of Ramadan is officially over.  A month of fasting during daylight hours and feasting at night.  The new moon showed itself last night, according to our night guard, so they could start the celebration after evening prayers last night.  And what a celebration it has been.  

Chicken and guinea fowl seemed to be the meat of choice and they were for sale along the streets. 

 

I was surprised how the prices on food items sky-rocketed during the month of fasting.  Only baguettes seemed to be on sale!  It will be good to see prices go back to normal in the next day or two. We've been told that more food is consumed and more money spent on food during the month of Ramadan than other months of the year in spite of the fasting.  

  The round point near our house was bustling with activity yesterday afternoon as clothes vendors hawked their wares.  Everyone wanted a new set of clothes for the holiday.

Beautiful designs were painted on hands and feet with henna.  Hair was "tressed" (braided) and the new clothes and live chickens were purchased.

Our neighbors ate chicken and couscous and fried bread mid-morning and then got all dolled up and came for a visit, bringing with them a portion of their food for us to enjoy.

This little one is such a doll.  She was dressed to the nines:  shoes, double earrings in each ear, necklace and a lovely dress.

 Then the visiting began:  family, neighbors and friends.  I sat outside for an hour or so watching the traffic pass:   taxis crammed with families,  motorcycles with whole families aboard, bicycles, pick-up trucks loaded with a dozen or more people, and lots of people walking;  all dressed in their finery to visit family and friends.

 

 The courtyard next to us is home to soooo many.  I know the ones who usually live there but today there were  many more.  I know "Grandma" has lots of grandchildren and many came to visit .  They loved having their picture taken and using my camera to take pictures.

Our neighbor boy rarely has clothes on but today he was dressed from top to bottom...for a while.  First the shoes came off and then the shirt...  Can't blame the poor kid.

 Playing games in front of our gate kept them occupied for a bit.

 Sunglasses seemed to be a big hit this year!

So I joined the fun! 

Every day is laundry day...down by the river

A rainy day!  Yipee!  What a better time than to blog about washing clothes.

With no automatic washing machines nor electric dryers in most homes, clothes are washed by hand.  My neighbors plunk themselves down beside a tub of water and a bar of soap and scrub away.  In many families, each person is responsible to wash his own clothes:  men, women and children alike.

There is a huge laundromat down on the river's edge.  I haven't figured out to whom all these clothes belong, but it most certainly is a laundry service.   I love to walk across the bridge just to watch the "washer-men" do their job.  I wonder if they are out today in the rain, getting an extra rinse for the clothes.

Bundles and loads of clothes arrive on the bridge in carts or back of bicycles on atop a man's head.

  

The empty carts are parked in an orderly fashion beside the bridge railing
and the bundles are carried to the water's edge. 

Let the scrubbing begin!  The river carries the suds downstream so no need to ever change the water.  

Scrub 'em, rinse 'em and lay 'em out to dry:  on the cement sides of the bridge, or on the few scraggly bushes or on the sand, when no grass is present.

 

Driving across the bridge in the mornings when men's slacks were the laundry item for the day.
They are always dried turned inside out. 

 Another glimpse into life in Niamey on this gorgeous, rainy morning.