An elderly woman crushes rocks and minerals for making the patina of cooking pots for a meager livelihood in Segou Region, Mali, West Africa. 2022 Mali drought and hunger crisis.
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Contributor:
Jake Lyell / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
2PTXX2CFile size:
128.1 MB (6 MB Compressed download)Releases:
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8192 x 5464 px | 69.4 x 46.3 cm | 27.3 x 18.2 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
17 December 2022Location:
Ségou Region, Mali, West AfricaMore information:
This image could have imperfections as it’s either historical or reportage.
Aminata Traoré (67) is a widow of eight years who gave birth to thirteen children, though only ten survive. When her husband died eight years ago, her children gradually scattered to look for work in other towns and villages. Aminata was eventually left alone, save for a young granddaughter, Oumou, who was left behind in her care. Aminata developed severe back pain and could no longer farm or perform other physically demanding tasks. Today her only way of earning money is to pound a locally found mineral into a powder that’s sold and used in making the external veneer of cooking pots. The work is only seasonal, and the long periods of sitting leave her in pain. In good times she only makes enough to provide herself and her granddaughter with two meals a day. For much of the year they can only manage to eat once daily. “Most of the year I have no way to earn money, except from the neighbors’ assistance, ” Aminata says. “Sometimes I go to the fields during the harvesttime to glean millet for myself, or sometimes neighbors are moved by my situation, and they help me.” The shortage of food has profoundly affected 6-year-old Oumou, who has developed anemia from malnutrition. “She cannot play any more like she wants to. Sometimes when she is hungry, she will come to me and say, ‘mommy I have a stomachache, ’ or ‘I have headache.’ Words can’t express how bad I feel. I can’t help her out of this situation. I have no means to do that.” Aminata knows she is living in unprecedented times, even if she may not be aware of all the geopolitical factors like climate change, global supply chain bottlenecks, and the war in Ukraine, all of which are drastically driving up food prices in Mali. “The present situation is worse than I’ve ever seen, ” she says. “The difficulties we face today are far different than they were when I was Oumou’s age. Living was not tough like it is today. The price of cereals has increased too much. During the rainy