Exploring the extremely arid yet paradoxically resource-rich region along the Algerian-Tunisian border, not far from the impressive natural wonder, the Table of Jugurtha, I met Mehdi. Mehdi, a 17-year-old boy full of energy and dreams, lives in a small, colonially-built village in the middle of nowhere. He allowed me to explore his most precious secret place: an amazing cave nestled in the mountains. The cave is touched only by light, rainwater, and the youth of the village. Mehdi and his friends spent their summer days swimming in the green basin formed in the cave, a hidden treasure in an otherwise desolate area.
Throughout my time with Mehdi, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was the reincarnation of Jugurtha himself. Perhaps it was his resilience, his strength, or the way he seemed like a powerful presence in an empty space.
