http://www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk/weblog/ en-us 2008-05-12T19:49:42+00:00 http://www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk/weblog/archives/2008/05/a_cautionary_ta.html The librarian in Djibo is called Tamboura Mamadou. He has formed a theatre group to travel around local villages and perform entertaining dramas with a social message. Today I accompanied Mamadou and his troupe to the village of Bani, 5... Journal sahelsteve 2008-05-12T19:49:42+00:00 http://www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk/weblog/archives/2008/05/never_play_on_r.html This week I passed the halfway mark in Hacking Timbuktu. Writing is very part time so it's taking a while, but 25000 words is a nice milestone all the same. Most researchy things can be answered by Google these days,... Hacking Timbuktu sahelsteve 2008-05-08T22:37:08+00:00 http://www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk/weblog/archives/2008/05/the_meaning_of.html I spent part of this morning in a home-school classroom, helping an eleven year-old English lad called Joshua to plan a fantasy story. Story-writing is part of the SATS, whatever they are, and fantasy is one of the required... Journal sahelsteve 2008-05-05T22:23:29+00:00 http://www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk/weblog/archives/2008/04/gastroenteritis.html Charlie and I have food poisining. Notes of sympathy below, please ;-)... Journal sahelsteve 2008-04-27T12:16:51+00:00 http://www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk/weblog/archives/2008/04/ladies_of_djibo.html Charlie's April newsletter is now online. Charlie has started an embroidery group with local ladies. You can see (or buy!) samples of their work on the Ladies of Djibo webpage.... Journal sahelsteve 2008-04-25T12:30:28+00:00 http://www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk/weblog/archives/2008/04/mr_gum_storms_n.html Congratulations to Andy Stanton on his Norfolk Shorts award for 'You're a Bad Man Mr Gum'. Another well deserved award for a hilarious book. If you know any eight or nine year olds, buy it for them. The six shortlisted... Albino Camel sahelsteve 2008-04-18T08:47:13+00:00 http://www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk/weblog/archives/2008/04/kittens_in_the.html Something unexpected happened the day before yesterday. We were out in the bush, Charlie riding, me on the bike... ...when suddenly Charlie stopped and said 'Steve, look!' (the photo below was not staged - I just happened to be taking... Kittens sahelsteve 2008-04-15T09:25:08+00:00 http://www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk/weblog/archives/2008/04/steves_house_in.html Here are some pics of Djibo courtesy of Google Earth and Keith (who very kindly uploaded them for me).... Photos sahelsteve 2008-04-11T19:09:38+00:00 http://www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk/weblog/archives/2008/04/would_you_vote.html Picture by Dave Shelton - rough draft only Gidaado rode off a short distance, stood up in the saddle and began to sing at the top of his voice. The delightful General Crêpe-Sombo Has a dish of Election Delights,... Pancake Plot sahelsteve 2008-04-08T18:43:59+00:00 http://www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk/weblog/archives/2008/04/april_prayer_re.html Dear friends, Here is a Fulani tongue twister for you to try: Fulfulde na tiiDi, Fulfulde FulBe na tiiDi. Pullo biiDo o buri FulBe waawde Fulfulde na tiiDi. Literal translation: Fulfulde is hard. The Fulfulde of the Fulani is hard.... Letters home sahelsteve 2008-04-01T14:39:18+00:00 http://www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk/weblog/archives/2008/03/pony_tales.html Just to let you know that Charlie's March newsletter is now online.... Journal sahelsteve 2008-03-26T00:58:25+00:00 http://www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk/weblog/archives/2008/03/feshiba_picture.html Just a taste of Barani (photos will open as pop-ups) Horse and family Noumu Jor and Ousmane Sidibe Rearing Horse Chief's son racing... Travel writing sahelsteve 2008-03-26T00:27:18+00:00 http://www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk/weblog/archives/2008/03/kingdom_and_the.html Since the year 2000, the tiny village of Barani in north-west Burkina Faso has played host to an extraordinary horse festival, one of the most colourful and arresting spectacles in the whole of West Africa. Charlie and I went along... Travel writing sahelsteve 2008-03-11T20:08:26+00:00 http://www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk/weblog/archives/2008/02/four_weddings_a.html I got married again on Sunday. Keith tells the story in today's post Four Weddings and a Fanta.... Wedding sahelsteve 2008-02-27T13:04:39+00:00 http://www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk/weblog/archives/2008/02/pancake_plot_ji.html The Albino Camel jigsaw was well-received so here's a 'Sophie and the Pancake Plot' jigsaw. Click on the link below, and when prompted click on Open/Run. Do the jigsaw Caveat: Mac users will find they are unable to open the... Pancake Plot sahelsteve 2008-02-26T17:28:05+00:00