The GAGURI project in Niger now officially registered as an agricultural cooperative by the local regional government. The eight people pictured here are serving as leaders of this organization, coming from two dominant ethnicities, Hauza and Buzu, and two faiths, Islamic and Christian. They are united in their determination end the threat of famine in their village by building a modern granary to safely store their grains and seeds for planting and for emergency use as food.

SITIA.org is working to line up individuals and organizations who can provide advice and financial support for the GAGURI Agricultural Cooperative.

Sandy soil and no rain, but a wealth of hope.

The growing season in Dan-Makaho village depends on rain for germination of the seeds and for growing the young plants to the point that their leaf and root system is large enough to take in what little moisture comes in the dew and light rains. The village chief Issa reports that the soil was already dry at planting time and occasional bursts of rain have not been optimal for a good harvest later on this year.

Against the odds, these young men have hope in their eyes and courage in their hearts. A recent delivery of grain from the local government will be shared with the village as a goodwill offering to get them through the hot summer while their crops mature.

Camels Don't Mind a Little Green in the Desert

Issa is the village chief of Dan-Makaho and he is SITIA.org's partner in Niger. He recently sent along a few photos showing how his people plant their crops.

It makes sense that a camel could be used to pull a plow. The young guy riding the camel in his flip flops makes it look relatively easy. The nice, fresh greens that have sprouted from the desert floor make tasty treats for the camel, and must put him in a good mood for plowing.

This year's crops are sorghum, millet, and cow peas. Issa and SITIA.org are partnering to build a more modern warehouse to store the harvest and to save seeds for next year's planting.

Another Way of Seeing

My friend's village is more visible now that a few of our photos are visible on Google Earth and on Panoramio. Viewed on Google Earth or Panoramio, these pictures include the lattitude and longitude and are placed on a real map of southern Niger. Zooming in on the village of Dan-Makaho from the air, the village well is clearly there in the clearing surrounded by a few trees. There are also modest houses and the arid fields where the people grow their sorghum, millet, and cow peas.

In addition to the precision map experience on our Panoramio page, we can also gain context. Clicking out to view the wider Maradi region shows dozens of villages. Clicking out to view Niger as a whole reveals the proximity of important neighbors like Nigeria, which is only a few kilometers away from Dan-Makaho and which shares the Hausa tribal ethnicity. The other neighbors to the north, east, and west include a diverse assortment of ethnicities, histories, and landscapes: Algeria, Libya, Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Benin.

Seeing is believing

A friend of mine is village chief in the African country of Niger. He knows that a village granary is the only sustainable way for him to protect his people from famine, by storing seeds for future crops and by storing surpluses for lean times. Like many good ideas, if this one is to be realized it needs planning, funds, and hands on work.

Funds are hard to come by. And, most people feel better about funding something they can see and understand so I set off to make this granary in Niger more tangible through photos, videos, and stories.

I sent a Canon SX95 camera to my friend the Chief and he began snapping photos of traditional granaries, neighboring town's modern granaries, and local farms. He starting emailing me lots of photos at 640x480 in order to fit more photos into each email, but I really wanted to share compelling high quality photos with other folks who might want to join our effort.

Flickr vs Picasa? I think of Flickr as a feature rich publishing mechanism and I think of Picasa as more of an individual editing and sharing mechanism.

Please take a look at our Flickr site and tell me what you like or don't like.

How do you think I should go about sharing the photos that will reach people who will see this project and believe in it?

The 7 Habits by Steven Covey

Habit 1: Be Proactive: Principles of Personal Choice

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind: Principles of Personal Vision

Habit 3: Put First Things First: Principles of Integrity & Execution

Habit 4: Think Win/Win: Principles of Mutual Benefit

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood: Principles of Mutual Understanding

Habit 6: Synergize: Principles of Creative Cooperation

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw: Principles of Balanced Self-Renewal

The Clock and the Compass

Stephen Covey's book First Things First decribes a common conflict that frustrates many people in our society. One half of the conflict is "The Clock" which drives us to accomplish more tasks with higher quality and less time. The other half of the conflict is "The Compass" which allows our personal values and life mission to guide us, to think long term. Ideally we reconcile this conflict and align our efforts to better serve both our short term and long term goals.

How have you resolved this conflict in your life?