Men

4/6/08
It's different for the men, at least for now, because it's not farming season yet. Men have a completely different routine, and it does not overlap with the women's at all, except when sleeping. Men's schedules revolve largely around prayer times-which are 5AM, 2PM, 4PM, 7PM, and 8PM. In the mornings, from 6AM on, they sit in the shade along the paths of the town, sometimes alone, but normally in large groups. You'll find the same guys in the same places, making tea (the exception to "men don't cook in Niger"), playing cards, and listening to the radio.

A lot of the men are on Exxode right now, meaning they have left the villages for work in more "prosperous" countries: Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana...I'm told that they will start to return soon, pre-rainy season, to get their fields ready for planting. When that happens, I anticipate things becoming a bit louder and busier, and I bet there won't be so many dudes hanging out.