Women with silver earrings, Chadawanka village, Niger

"In central Niger, between the great Sahara Desert and the Grasslands, lies an immense steppe in which the Wodaabe, commonly called Bororo, are virtually the only Fulbe group that has preserved the ancient nomadic tradition. By the time a Woodabe girl is grown, she will wear seven to ten large earrings in each ear." [Beckwith/Van Offelen, 1983: Nomads of Niger. Harry N. Abrams]. This photograph was taken by Maya Bracher when she traveled to Africa from October 26, 1970 to end of March 1971. She was on assignment for Eliot Elisofon when he wrote, produced, and directed a four-hour television series for Group W (Westinghouse Broadcasting Company) titled Black African Heritage (1973). The series was divided into four segments, lasting 50 minutes each: The Congo, The Bend of the Niger, The Slave Coast, and Africa's Gift.