On the weekend after Tabita’s birthday, I took her out on her very first riding lesson in the bush. Finally allowed to steer the horse all by herself (expect for shorter moments in Zinder City when the street has been empty of traffic), my newly turned five year old niece was living her dream! Tabita’s [...]

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Copyright Eden Foundation Throughout Niger, following a poor rainy season in 2009 that left many families with insufficient millet harvests, people have been living off hanza beans this year. Copyright Eden Foundation Why anybody wants to call this protein-rich beanlike seed “famine food” is beyond me, because once you’ve rinsed away the bitterness, the hanza [...]

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Copyright Eden Foundation One of the most important Eden species is the Hansa bean [boscia senegalensis], whose fruits can be harvested during the entire hot season. Copyright Eden Foundation Despite being the subject of international food racism, this pioneering species has won the heart of the Eden population. Rich in protein, it is consumed both [...]

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It’s been two months now since Kimi said goodbye to his family for a brief period of time. His stay at Ishtar’s Ark has gone well, and during his time with us, he has grown well and developed into a calm, sensible pup with a natural sense of guardianship. When his family left, he had [...]

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This past Thursday was a sad day. After waiting for nearly nine months, my brother and sister-in-law unexpectedly lost their baby daughter just days before the date she was expected. A beautiful little niece named Sifra. The funeral was in Holland this past Thursday. A greeting in white from her mother, father and sisters Little [...]

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My brother called me from Holland yesterday to tell me that their unborn baby, expected on November 7th, had passed away during the night. All was well at the hospital checkup the day before and my sister-in-law could feel the baby move about usual in the evening. In the morning, its heart had stopped. No [...]

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If I could turn back time I would relive all those moments again The good and the bad The wonderful and the painful The laughter and the tears If I could turn back time I would hold my breath and be still I would take in every sight Every smell, every look, every word spoken [...]

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After more than twenty years in West Africa, my family has collected quite a few “favourite place”, which are obligatory visits whenever we happen to drive by. One of them is the Blue Cliff Formation Valley situated in the heart of Nigeria on the way to the Yankari Game Reserve. It’s an impressive place that [...]

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A wedding in Niger is no small business. It takes a day or two, and involves the entire community. In this case, the entire Eden Street! Unlike a Western wedding, the bride and the groom celebrate apart with their family and friends, and come together when it’s time to move into their new home. Ever [...]

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Last month, I turned a year older. My family came over to celebrate and Tabita was in for her first official ride on the new pony saddle that I had brought with me from Sweden. Last time she rode it was on my saddle and on my horse (Arwen), but this time, she got to [...]

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The last weekend before my father went back to Sweden, we all gathered for the 95th Formula 1 Game Auction! For those who do not know, the Formula One Game is a complex racing world that has been under development for the past thirty years and goes all the way back to my father’s teenage [...]

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Last week, the Eden research department came up with a delicious smooth-tasting oil, and the day after, we tried out the latest solar oven purchase with a whole-grain sorghum bread. Personally, I adore sorghum, which unfortunately is considered “poor man’s millet”. With the international food racism doing its part on national radio and television, many [...]

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I guess if I had lived in a metropolis somewhere in a developed country, I would have taken a Sunday walk in the park, in hope of enjoying some natural scenery. Here in Zinder, I am fortunate enough to have next-to immediate access to a never ending bush! It only takes ten minutes to walk [...]

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Tanout, September 2008 I was so happy to come back to Niger and find the country still green. It rained not too long ago, and the greenness may last for a while, even if it won’t rain again for the rest of the season. Although I haven’t been to the field station since my arrival [...]

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