Excursions with Gina Arias: Niger, Part 2
“I was a mixture of excitement and anxiety,” Gina Arias says as she remembers her first day in the village of Koleram in Niger, West Africa where she served for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer.
She started practicing the local Hausa language and struck friendships with local children who would converse with her eagerly. Arias noticed, however, that even the youngest girls in the village were constantly busy with household chores and had very little time to play.
As she continued to observe the village life, she saw a pattern in the lifestyles of local women. Arias explores this observation further as she introduces listeners to Biba – a woman she affectionately called her “Nigerien Mom” and Nana, the bright and life-loving wife of the chief nurse at the village clinic.
Join Gina Arias as she reminisces the sweet joys of her connection with the two women and stay tuned for the final episode of her excursion in Niger this week. If you missed Episode One, click here for a refresher.
This story was originally published September 27, 2022 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Excursions with Gina Arias: Niger, Part 2."