Assitan
Barry, age 17
Listen
to the cattle
(554KB) as they cross the river Niger.
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The Niger River means many things
to people in Mali. The Cattle Crossing Festival
happens every year in Diafarabé, when the Fulani
people celebrate the return of their young men and
the cattle they’ve been herding on grazing
lands across the river. The boys’ cattle are
then judged, and prizes are given.
Girls in Diafarabé look forward
to the Festival for another reason. It’s their
chance to see their boyfriends again.
For the boys, the crossing can be
a nerve-wracking time.
"When the animals come back,
they are driven into a large open space at one end
of the town where there is a panel which judges
them to decide whose animals are fat, in other words,
whose animals have been best cared for. If your
animals are judged the best-kept herd you're the
winner, and the community gives you prizes: a special
blanket, a robe, and many other gifts. The last
word in the judging is always with the vet. The
boy with the worst-kept herd is given a peanut,
which is quite a shameful thing. Last year the boy
who was given the peanut went back to the bush a
week later and now, this year, his animals are very
fat and his people have all been congratulating
him instead of complaining about him like they did
last year."
Amadou Barry, age 18
The girls spend a lot of time making
sure they look their best for the boys, by creating
elaborate hair
decorations.
