Everyday activities
Photographs taken by
Stuart McGill
Markus Yabani harvesting guineacorn.
Tabitha Markus threshing soya beans.
Ishaya Audu drying guineacorn after harvesting.
Ɗanjuma Galadima, head of Bazama village with rope.
Ishaya Audu carving a carving tool with a carving-tool.
When someone wants to build a hut, the block-making is usually a communal task, with all the men in the village working together (and enjoying strong tea from Niger).
Markus Yabani building a hut.
Building the roof framework.
Adding the thatch roof.
Ibrahim Wakiso building a granary. Granaries are never built using blocks. Instead the mud is moulded together using the hands - each layer of a few inches in height is left to dry until the next one is added. This is more time-consuming, but results in a stronger building. Traditionally all huts would have been made in this way, but now the block method has taken over.
Beer stones used in 'mulling' beer. These metal objects are heated up and plunged into the beer to heat it up and improve the flavour.
Tontono Ɗanjuma making guineacorn beer, a complicated process lasting several days.
Plunging the beer stones into the beer.
Drinking beer from a calabash.
Stuart McGill
Markus Yabani harvesting guineacorn.
Tabitha Markus threshing soya beans.
Ishaya Audu drying guineacorn after harvesting.
Ɗanjuma Galadima, head of Bazama village with rope.
Ishaya Audu carving a carving tool with a carving-tool.
When someone wants to build a hut, the block-making is usually a communal task, with all the men in the village working together (and enjoying strong tea from Niger).
Markus Yabani building a hut.
Building the roof framework.
Adding the thatch roof.
Ibrahim Wakiso building a granary. Granaries are never built using blocks. Instead the mud is moulded together using the hands - each layer of a few inches in height is left to dry until the next one is added. This is more time-consuming, but results in a stronger building. Traditionally all huts would have been made in this way, but now the block method has taken over.
Beer stones used in 'mulling' beer. These metal objects are heated up and plunged into the beer to heat it up and improve the flavour.
Tontono Ɗanjuma making guineacorn beer, a complicated process lasting several days.
Plunging the beer stones into the beer.
Drinking beer from a calabash.
