It was Friday morning in Zinder and we were heading out to Maja to rendezvous with some of the tribal Fulani chiefs who were beginning to assemble for their meeting the following week.

Traveling to Maja from Zinder necessitated covering 160/km via “highway” from Zinder to Goure. The “highway” is better described as a collection of potholes connected by a few pieces of asphalt.

The road is so rough you are absolutely convinced that the next jolt will render your vehicle a useless pile of parts along the desert landscape.