Mal.mw2.24.xsGrain trader Soumana Natomo and his second wife Fatoumata Toure discuss purchases and sales at the Saturday weekly market in their village of Kouakourou, Mali. {{Since the coverage of the Natomo family for Material World: A Global Family Portrait in 1993, Soumana Natomo has gained greater importance in the community administration due in large part to his quiet demeanor and gentle disposition—good qualities for an arbiter of village affairs. Pama Kondo, his first wife, is a grain trader alongside of Soumana and they have built this into a business that supports the family of 15 people (including three extended family members who are now living with them) and sends their son Kontie, 16 to high school in Mopti. Pama had begun trading grain during the time of the first big picture, but not to the extent that she does now. In addition, she is taking language classes in Bambera, the official first language of Mali, along with other Kouakourou villagers. All this while still fulfilling her share of the family responsibilities alongside her co-wife Fatoumata Toure. Successful completion of the literacy course will gain some in the village a fuel-powered grain mill that will make pounding grain—at least for Pama, who laughs when she is asked how much grain in a lifetime she thinks she has pounded—a thing of the past. Fatoumata Toure, Soumana’s second wife (and Pama’s co-wife) now cooks ngome (a biscuit/pancake made from finely pounded grain), in the mornings for passersby on the narrow dirt path outside her house and on Sunday market day in Kouakourou. Kontie is learning English in the town of Mopti (about 3.5 hours travel by car or 5 hours by boat). This is where his mother and father sometimes come to trade grain, but he boards here during the school year and comes home only on school vacations. Each of the wives have given birth to, and then lost, at least one infant to illness since 1993 and Pama’s eldest daughter, Tata, died in childbirth in 2000. Fatoum

Mal.mw2.1.120.xsFrom coverage of revisit to Material World Project family in Mali, 2001. The Natomo family, with the few new possessions they have acquired since the shooting of the photograph of the family with all of its possessions for the 1994 book Material World: A Global Family Portrait. Left to right, front row: Fourou (12, daughter of Fatoumata and Soumana); Mamadou (10, son of Pama and Soumana); Fatoumata (10, daughter of Fatoumata and Soumana); Mama (8, son of Fatoumata and Soumana); Kansy (4, son of Fatoumata and Soumana). left to right, back row: Soumana Natomo (46, husband of Pama and Fatoumata); Pama Kondo, 35, wife of Soumana and co-wife of Fatoumata Toure); Mama, (13, son of Pama and Soumana); Kontie (16, son of Pama and Soumana); and Pai (18, daughter of Pama and Soumana); Fatoumata, (33, wife of Soumana and co-wife of Pama) holding Tena (4 months, daughter of Fatoumata and Soumana). In some big picture photos you can see three extended family members on the ground below: Kadia Foune who is Soumana’s sister-in-law and currently living with the family along with her two children, Mariyam, 8, and Kontie, 2, while her husband works in Ivory Coast). New Possessions: The family’s only new material possessions since 1993 are a few pieces of clothing, arranged in front of them on the roof of their earthen house; a plastic teapot, and a new storage room in the market area. Part of the courtyard has been repaired and replastered in the years since the first big picture. {{Since the coverage of the Natomo family for Material World: A Global Family Portrait in 1993, Soumana Natomo has gained greater importance in the community administration due in large part to his quiet demeanor and gentle disposition—good qualities for an arbiter of village affairs. Pama Kondo, his first wife, is a grain trader alongside of Soumana and they have built this into a business that supports the family of 15 people (including three extended family members who are now living wit

Mal.mw.8.xxsBecause the household's second wife, Fatoumata Toure, is still nursing her newest baby, Pama Kondo, the household's first wife, carries all the water from the village well for the family’s use. This morning, the water has an immediate use: bathing the children in her family courtyard. The older children—especially the girls—also help with chores. In the village of Kouakourou, Mali, on the banks of the Niger River. Published in Material World, page 19. Work.{{The Natomo family (Soumana Natomo, his two wives—Pama Kondo and Fatoumata Toure—and 7 children) lives in two mud brick houses in the village of Kouakourou, Mali, on the banks of the Niger River. They are grain traders and own a mango orchard. According to tradition Soumana is allowed to take up to four wives; he has two. Wives Pama and Fatoumata are partners in the family and care for their many children together. They have separate households but share meals in the courtyard of Pama’s house. The older children help care for the younger children and help with sweeping the mud brick courtyard, and dish washing and clothes washing in the Niger River.Family members are: Soumana Natomo (39, father); Pama Kondo (28, first wife); Fatoumata Toure (26, second wife); Pai Natomo (11, daughter of Soumana and Pama); Kontie Natomo (9, son of Soumana and Pama); Mama Natomo (6, son of Soumana and Pama); Mamadou (3, son of Soumana and Pama); Toure Natomo (5, daughter of Soumana and Fatoumata); Fatoumata Natomo (3, daughter of Soumana and Fatoumata); Mama Natomo (1, son of Soumana and Fatoumata). From Peter Menzel’s Material World Project that showed 30 statistically average families in 30 countries with all of their possessions.}}

Mal.mw.712.xs Fatoumata Toure stirs a pot of porridge on the roof of her home in the village of Kouakourou, Mali. The Natomo family (Soumana Natomo, his two wives—Pama Kondo and Fatoumata Toure—and 7 children) lives in two mud brick houses in the village of Kouakourou, Mali, on the banks of the Niger River. Work. {{They are grain traders and own a mango orchard. According to tradition Soumana is allowed to take up to four wives; he has two. Wives Pama and Fatoumata are partners in the family and care for their many children together. They have separate households but share meals in the courtyard of Pama’s house. The older children help care for the younger children and help with sweeping the mud brick courtyard, and dish washing and clothes washing in the Niger River. Family members are: Soumana Natomo (39, father); Pama Kondo (28, first wife); Fatoumata Toure (26, second wife); Pai Natomo (11, daughter of Soumana and Pama); Kontie Natomo (9, son of Soumana and Pama); Mama Natomo (6, son of Soumana and Pama); Mamadou (3, son of Soumana and Pama); Toure Natomo (5, daughter of Soumana and Fatoumata); Fatoumata Natomo (3, daughter of Soumana and Fatoumata); Mama Natomo (1, son of Soumana and Fatoumata). From Peter Menzel’s Material World Project that showed 30 statistically average families in 30 countries with all of their possessions.}}

Mal.mw2.59.xsPama Kondo (in yellow) talks with family members and friends in her courtyard as her daughter Pai gets her hair styled for her wedding. Pai, 18, will be married today to her first cousin, Baba Nientao, who has come back from the Ivory Coast where he has lived with his family since he was 12 years old. The arranged marriage was revealed to Pai this morning, as is the custom, and she is quiet as part of the ritualized mourning for her lost youth. Child, Children, Marriage, Africa. {{As is the custom, Pai hid herself under a blanket in the corner of a room of her father’s house while her friends sat around and talked, listened to music and generally ignored her. This is all part of the custom, but when we saw Pai, she didn’t look all that happy in any regard. Earlier, we ran into her going to the local pharmacy for a headache remedy. We were surprised by the lack of involvement by Pai’s parents in the wedding process. Baba was holed up with his friends in another house in town; elders from the two sides of the family (all related, obviously) met to exchange a dowry and then pray with the Imam on the ground outside the Imam’s house; and then candies and nuts were passed out to children and the honored relatives—no parents attended this. Pai and Baba sign official papers at the government office—no parents attend this either. Next came Pai’s movement to a relative’s house. There’s dancing in the streets by all the girls in the village; the boys gather and try to find the girl so she can be brought to the man she will marry—her first cousin. This goes on all night but finally, as planned, the two get together and within three days are spending the night together. Not everything goes off without a hitch. The drummer doesn’t show up on time so the girls can’t take to the streets and so the family compound is chock-full of people waiting for the drummer. Finally, he shows up and everything can start. Pama is dry-eyed but Pama’s co-wife Fatoumata is weeping. Fa

Mal.mw.740.xsVultures pick away at a carcass of a dead cow on the dry floodplain of the Niger River in the W. African village of Kouakourou, Mali. {{From Peter Menzel’s Material World Project that showed 30 statistically average families in 30 countries with all of their possessions. The Natomo family (Soumana Natomo, his two wives—Pama Kondo and Fatoumata Toure—and 7 children) lives in two mud brick houses in the village of Kouakourou, Mali, on the banks of the Niger River. They are grain traders and own a mango orchard. According to tradition Soumana is allowed to take up to four wives; he has two. Wives Pama and Fatoumata are partners in the family and care for their many children together. They have separate households but share meals in the courtyard of Pama’s house. The older children help care for the younger children and help with sweeping the mud brick courtyard, and dish washing and clothes washing in the Niger River. Family members are: Soumana Natomo (39, father); Pama Kondo (28, first wife); Fatoumata Toure (26, second wife); Pai Natomo (11, daughter of Soumana and Pama); Kontie Natomo (9, son of Soumana and Pama); Mama Natomo (6, son of Soumana and Pama); Mamadou (3, son of Soumana and Pama); Toure Natomo (5, daughter of Soumana and Fatoumata); Fatoumata Natomo (3, daughter of Soumana and Fatoumata); Mama Natomo (1, son of Soumana and Fatoumata).}}