Located on the edge of an oasis surrounded by dunes, the desert landscape near Bilma in northeastern Niger is dotted with holes.
The salt pans of Kalala were once a crucial stop for traders and their caravans of camels. Salt digging, passed down through generations, was a thriving business as the commodity was highly valued and traded across the Sahara and beyond. Over time, hundreds of pits were dug by hand and filled with water to extract salt from the local rock.
Today, in this remote desert region plagued by armed gangs and smugglers, the diggers struggle to make a living.
Ibrahim Tagaji and a colleague were using a crowbar to extract salt from the black and ochre pits on a scorching day when temperatures reached 45C (113F) in the shade. The men dug out salty chunks, pounded them into grains, and scooped them out with a gourd. The salt was then poured into moulds made from date palms to form slabs for sale.
The work is hard and the income fluctuates depending on the buyers passing through town. “When someone with money comes, you earn a lot,” said Tagaji. “Otherwise, it’s a lot of work, and the money’s poor.”
With few alternatives in the local economy, roughly half of Bilma’s population still works in the salt pans, according to local officials. “As soon as you drop out of school, you have to work here,” said veteran salt digger Omar Kosso. “Every family has its own salt pan. You are with your wife, your children, you come and work.”
Original from www.aljazeera.com