HOW “DUST” CAME TO BE

I can write a thousand stories about the two years that I lived in Mauritania.  Story ideas landed in my lap, got tangled in my hijab, or tucked me in at night.  Imagine this title:  The Donkey and His Favorite Flip Flop.  Yes!  I wish I still had that picture.   My sister-in-law and I were bouncing along a dirt/paved road on our way to the big house to visit family.  Driving in Nouakchott required you to be alert because anyone or anything could jump into your path.  Just up ahead on the left, we saw a donkey struggling to get a flip flop off of his hoof.  We wondered, How in the world did he get it on in the first place.  Instances like that occurred daily.  Some funny, some sad but they always made my imagination run wild wondering how it came to be. 

Many families dry their clothes on rooftops above the sand and dust.

Neighborhood in Nouakchott

Rooftop View

The story of Habib came to me on a sunny Saturday morning.  That Saturday, like all the other Saturdays was laundry / cleaning day.  Routine was routine in Nouakchott!  As I hung my laundry, a boy (about the age of 10) came into view as he passed my house pulling his cart.  He was very animated.  Unbeknownst to him, he had an audience of at least one.  He caught my attention because one leg was considerably shorter than the other causing him to walk with a limp.  He was collecting hash (food scraps) and he appeared to be having so much fun entertaining himself.

The poverty of some in Nouakchott is striking.  I often wondered about the situation of those that I observed.  I tried hard not to pity or to think their life was so miserable.  Some of the happiest people can be those that lack the burden of things.  However, when I saw him, my heart softened as I observed his physical handicap.  I questioned why was he working instead of playing.  I pitied his poverty.  I came to the conclusion that he didn’t attend school and that he was sure to live in a tent.  I summed up his life in the short time that it took him to get to the end of my road and out of sight.  Yet, he was having so much fun with himself.  Who was I to pity him.  This is the life that he knows.  His family is probably more connected than my “we meet on holidays and funerals” extended family.

I tried really hard not to view Mauritanians through the lens of my culture and experiences.  For example, the sight of children working made me question my parenting style.  I witnessed children being resourceful and responsible.  Getting my own children to simply make their bed in the morning was a challenge.  I saw small children go to the neighborhood boutique (store) and make purchases, four year old girls washing dishes (granted the dishes were rewashed by a more skilled dishwasher), kids carrying baby bundles on their backs, kids helping their mom sell at the market and more.  The children are a necessary and contributing part of the family unit.  From the adults down to the toddlers everyone played a part in the smooth functioning of the household.

Trainee

Professional

So Habib, the protagonist in ‘Dust’ lives in a tent, contributes to his family’s daily earnings by collecting hash, and lacks a secular education.  However, his plight and that of his family changes when he befriends an American teacher.  Are you wondering how?  Click on books to get your copy and find out how Habib’s world changed.

Hash Bucket

Food scraps from meal prep and uneaten portions of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Meat and bones are not included in the hash bucket.

• Hash spread out to dry in the sun.

Yum Yum