Breast milk dries your brain.

 “Binta, do you know what I would like? I would like some canned milk.”

Fatou Bobo explains that she will use the canned milk to wean Musa. “He has one year and seven months. Last month he was one year and six months and this month is ending, so one year and seven months. It is time for him to leave the breast.”

If Fatou has some canned milk she will mix it with water (to be economical); Musa will prefer that and forget about the breast. Fatou worries that if she doesn’t wean Musa soon, his brain will be dry. This is what happens when a child breast-feeds for too long. Just look at Mamadou. She breast-fed Mamdou until he was one year and nine months—his brain is very dry. Whatever you tell him to do, he refuses; he just runs around.

So if I have some canned milk, please give it to her.