Autumn Years Fall 2024

WATER PROJECTS www.charitywater.org/ From the website: Sustainable work is locally‑led

We work exclusively with local partners who build sustainable, community owned water projects. Our partners also facilitate comprehensive water, sanitation, and hygiene programming to protect everyone’s long-term health. The group has funded 154,000 water projects.

like a mother. During that time, the house was located in a rural area with few amenities, although since then, more houses have been built near “Chez Hadja Black.” Kathleen observed that “you may not have material stuff but you know how to be together. Despite differences we’re the same.” The similarities run through her life. Although Kathleen was an only child, her younger years were similar to that of her African family, in that she spent a lot of quality time with a close knit extended family. She recalls her family’s Polish-Russian community, which gathered in homes and churches and vacationed at cabins that had wood stoves. Her visits to Guinea felt familiar because of N’Nassady’s large family and the familiar smell of the wood stoves. “There are so many connections— wontanara—it doesn’t matter who you are or where you are, we are one.” More than 80 percent of Guinea’s people are Muslim. “I am interested in exploring more about religions,” she says. Her accepting approach meshes with her husband’s belief that God is too big for any one faith. “Its main tenet is sharing, so poor people share with each other,” Kathleen says. “I was there for the whole of Ramadan (which started March 12). It’s all about family. During Ramadan, the faithful do not eat nor drink during daylight hours, but after sunset there’s a big family

of Guinea with her, noting that “while Guinea is the third poorest country in the world, there it is so easy to have a real connection with people. Everybody takes care of everybody.” N’Nassady, a teacher and artist, takes care of passing along the tradition of Malinke music through performances at ceremonies. The traditional West African music, which is in his head and his heart, causes people to seek him out. They are building a third floor on the house, which has apartments to house music students. His students often incorporate the Malinke traditions into their performances in the United States before returning to places like Japan or France. Music, like drumming, is an international language—bridging cultures and uniting people. Unlike music, spoken language can present challenges. When they met, Kathleen spoke only English and N’Nassady spoke only French and local dialects. They now communicate mainly in French, with some English, as she picks up more French and some Malinke words. Ceremonies are big events in Guinea, and daughter Denise accompanied her to her niece’s wedding in December 2023 that featured lavish amounts of food, including a freshly slaughtered goat. This niece was one of the family members who won Kathleen’s heart those 20 plus years ago because the happy child climbed on her lap and treated Kathleen

Kathleen’s daughter Denise with N’Nassady’s nieces and nephews.

went back a second time; when she went the third time friends recognized them as a couple. She recalls how after introductions in a performance space, “N’Nassady took me on the dance floor and gave a whole speech, and someone said ‘he just proposed to you,’” although she did not understand a word he said! Eventually, following African tradition, she went to visit his mother and later visited the village of N’Nassady’s late father. “These people are so warm and open,” Kathleen says. The environment of wontanara reminded her of childhood with her extended family. Returning to the United States, “in my drum life in New York and New Jersey, and even among my family and friends, I became Hadja. ‘Hadja’ is the title given to Muslim women who have made the journey to Mecca, which is one of the five pillars of the Muslim religion,” Kathleen says. While she has not made the hajj to Mecca, “I am quite honored to carry that name.” She carries her concerns about the people

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FALL 2024 I AUTUMN YEARS