Fara Makan
Fara Makan is a legendary hunter-hero in Mande mythology credited with creating the Niger River — the lifeblood of West Africa. According to tradition, Fara Makan tracked a wounded antelope for seven days across the parched savanna. Dying of thirst, he shot an arrow deep into the ground, and water burst forth, creating the Djoliba (Niger River). The river wound across the Sahel, bringing life to the lands of Mali, Niger, and Nigeria. The great river enabled agriculture, trade, and eventually the rise of the Mali Empire. Fara Makan is remembered as a master hunter who sacrificed his own comfort