Generous, respectful, and cheerful, that’s Abdulrahman Bawa. He is a leather artisan who grew up in a village called Gardi Filingi in northern Niger. He grew up with 7 siblings, but several have died over the years. His mother is still alive and lives in Filingi, but his father has died.

He’s a 57-year-old man with dark skin and a white mustache and always dresses in traditional outfits. He has 1 wife and 10 children.

Abdulrahman used to be selling shoes for a living, but now he sells Nigerian leather artifacts, like bags, mirrors, and tables. You can find his shop next to the Petit Marche where you buy vegetables and fruits. You would recognize his shop because of its metal roofing and the leather work hanging from the top. Because of the small space, his goods overfill the area. He is able to bargain with all types of customers because he can speak both the local languages, Hausa and Zarma, and the national language, French.

He likes farming and has several animals on his farm, such as cows, sheep, goats, and chickens.

I chose this person because he’s cheerful, nice. We buy all our leather things from him since his goods are so well done. I also chose him because he has a lot of experience about Nigerien culture!