the cattle crossing festival
"The cattle are coming, so everybody is happy. We
love this festival more than anything. The boys go to the bush to prove they are men. No
girl here in Diafarabé would look at a boy who hadn’t been to the bush. Never!"
Assitan Barry, age 17
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.
Photo for Oxfam GB by Rhodri Jones
River Niger page| Cattle crossing page | Mali guide book home page | Mali virtual journey home page On the Line home page