Nigerian Chronicles VIII- Social Networking

In a small village an hour outside Kano I was asked to photograph a large congregation of people inside a small courtyard. Apparently this was the beginning of a wedding ceremony where Traditional Birth Attendants take the opportunity to dispense birth control materials  and  engage in family planning discussions. My initial impression was that there were more birth attendants than guests, but it was only the very beginning of the  celebration. Two experienced TBA's from CEDPA ( Center for Development and Population Activities) were among the first guests. Gathering of guests in the courtyard. Traditional Birth Attendants gathered in one of the rooms adjacent to the courtyard. Frankly, I did not see much interaction between them and the guests. Perhaps they were planning their strategy, or more likely  just resting before the guests arrived. A few scenes from the courtyard: A retired birth attendant. A retired birth attendant, her colleague ( also retired) and her granddaughter. Male Peer Counselors visit the marketplace to counsel males on the importance of  family planning. Finally, Pathfinder volunteers at a university in Kano dispensing information on AIDS prevention. I will be completing this series of  with two new posts on PPFA's work in a Christian community in northern Nigeria.