I took this photo of my village Chief (and son nearby) during my first year as a Peace Corps Volunteer in 1994 in Niger. The village Chief is instrumental in the placement of PCVs because he is the one who authorizes accepting a foreigner to live among them. It is the village Chief's responsibility to mobilize leaders to build a new home for a new volunteer as a village contribution. Or fix up a current standing home where volunteers are being replaced. The village Chief is very respected in the community and this one owns a horse, which is a sign of wealth. Anytime I planned to initiate a project whether it was educating women on malaria, starting a tree nursery, fixing a broken TV, installing a pump for fresh water, or meeting regularly with women entrepreneurs to set up a savings and loan micro-finance project for their small businesses, I always went to meet with the village Chief first as protocol to get his blessing. He made sure I felt safe as the only American.