Where to raise your children

Lol, I really must be one of the greatest Niger-fans on this entire planet!

Today I read an article in the Swedish paper Aftonbladet, which stated that Sweden is the best country to live in if you are a mother.

At the bottom of the list was none other than Niger, in terms of insurance, health care, female life expectancy, education, financial inequality between the sexes, parental insurance (or lack of...?), female involvement in politics, child mortality rate etc... (The list was long).

Now, all this is true - and Sweden is really a comfortable place to bring up your children, and yet... there is no place on earth where I would rather raise my children than in Niger!

Copyright Eden Foundation 2007

Material wealth and security in all its honor, but the difference - for me - between Niger and Sweden is that in Niger, I have time. Time to think, time to spend with others, time to inspire and figure out what life is really about. Though I would probably be so much more efficient if I lived the rest of my days in Sweden, I never really feel as if I am "alive". Life in Sweden is so much about work, work and work. My tinnitus goes up, my neck muscles ache and my dizziness increases and I know it's only from the mental stress that I create in my mind.

So despite what the papers say, my choice is Niger. I am Swedish and I enjoy meeting all my friends and relatives there - and Niger is truly at times one of the most awkward places on earth, but there is a very special sincerity to it that I find precious and rare, and which I would like to pass on to my own children on day.

Now your turn!



Ishtar

Claiming the Internet

There's so much you can do with your blog that tending to it could actually be a full time job! Unfortunately, I don't have time for that... Africa is waiting! :-)

Ishtar

Learning from Niger - "Somehow it will work!"

Well, if I haven't said it before, time certainly flies because all of a sudden, it was time for Sofia to go back home again to an anticipating family!

Even she thought time went by far too quickly, so I'm not making that up (about how time flies)!

She picked the worst possible day to leave - at least if you had a look at the weather. You see, there was a time in December that we had so much blue sky and sunshine that it was hard to imagine it could ever get cold in this country... But believe me, it can! And it gets dusty too!

Having said goodbye to the monkeys, including the old baboon Rez, the baby Julius and his mischievous sister Amalia.

Though she was not a dog person when she arrived, it seemed weird to go back to life without these four-legged companions... Baloo of course would be missed the most! (but then again, he is always such a favorite with visitors...)

There was something about there being trouble with the car, but let's think Nigerien - "it'll work itself out, somehow!"

Renate, Josef and Maurice going through the waypoints that had been taken on a previous journey to Kano (which warns for bad roads and different obstacles).

"I have no idea how I'll get through the airport, but somehow, it'll work!"

The car had to be pushed to a start, but after that, things went smoothly... (Just like the Nigerien saying anticipates, it all worked out!)

Off they went-

...leaving me alone in an empty house! Perhaps the four guard dogs, the three baboons, the five parrots and the two and a half horses will keep me company, now that the other three have left...

Ishtar

First ones to go

Anette and my dad drove to Kano this morning. They're both flying to Sweden. My mom and sister were supposed to have come for Christmas, but my mom got a serious infection and so my dad is joining her instead. It's sad because we were really looking forward to seeing them again, but it feels good that he'll be by her side soon. She's been in a lot of pain lately and we all wish we could ease it in some way...

It's been great having Anette and my dad around (who would have thought that seven weeks could pass so quickly?) - now we'll have to see how well Sofia and I can do by ourselves... :-)

Ishtar

What a luxury!

I woke up this morning after ten hours of sleep and the whole thing (that is, going to Niger in a few days) seemed so unreal... My body really wants to get into that final departure-mode when there's nothing left to do but waste the final hours away, but hey, that would be suicide right now because we're Saturday today and we're not leaving until Wednesday morning...

Anyway, every good day is something to be thankful for, and today seems to be one of those... They asked me yesterday if I wanted to work today (from 9am to 9pm, so it's not as if there would have been time for anything else!), but I actually said no and I'm really happy about that (although I never enjoy missing an opportunity, even if it would have been nothing more than an opportunity to make more money...). A whole day by myself seems like such a luxury! A whole day to do things without any stress! Ah... no wonder this is going to be a good day!

Sei Anjima! (= until we meet again)

Esther

Falkenberg, Sweden 2006