Walking in Mali

After picking up my book package (thanks Darien Book Aid), that weighed over 20 lbs., a guy insisted I get on his moto for a ride. I refused and walked the five minutes to drop it off with my bus guys. "All right, I'll be back at five." After being with Americans 24/7 for the past week and a half I felt I was experiencing a mini-culture shock walking through the city alone, running errands and giving greetings. I even ran into a friend from my village that I play basketball with, he was like "Where have you been? I haven't seen you playing basketball."  I was excited to say, I am going back to my village today and will see him on the court tomorrow.
Walking back I saw a woman, with two kids on a moto, about to enter traffic. She dropped a coin under her moto. She didn't notice so I stopped her, picked it up and gave it to her. She thanked me and I contiued on my way home. A few minutes later the same woman pulls to the side of the road where I am walking and starts speaking to me in French. "Sorry, I don't understand French." She says thank you again and offers me a ride on her already semi-full moto, one kid is tied to her back and another about 5yrs old sits behind. I thank her for the offer and tell her my boss does not allow me to ride a moto, because I may get in an accident; if I did I would have to go back to America. She understands but asks if I live far away. "No, just down this road in the Medina Koura district." Well she said she would like to chat with me sometime.
I love my job.
Pay it forward.

My free time in Bamako

I came into the city to get things done. I completed my mid-service medical exam (took less than 10min) and went to a local dentist for a cleaning and check-up. I also finally received my atm card! Hooray! After being the only Mali volunteer without one for a whole year, every atm withdrawal has been an amazing experience. Usually, I have to get to the bank 30 min before it opens to get a ticket to wait to withdraw a large sum of cash so I don't have to wait again or sometimes if I'm not there when it opens I may have to wait up to 3-4 hours to get money. Argh! Not helpful considering I have no bank in my town so I had to travel to a town two hours away, but no more because I have an atm card!
While in Bamako I visited the National library, but it was closed so I'll have to go again another time.
On Friday, I visited a Malian family in Bamako and watched The Forbidden Kingdom dubbed in French. After I met up with my friend to caravan to our homestay village to visit my first Mali family and village. I was nervous/excited to see them.



We were a little delayed and distracted in the city by ice cream and super market stores so we left town a little late and did not arrive in our homestay village until well after dark. We stopped by his host family first for greetings and dinner. I was not able to contact my host family in advance, because all of the cell numbers I used were inactive. So I just hoped for the best, that I would have a place to sleep with a mosquito net. The homecoming was great my host-father was delighted to see us and they prepared me a very comfortable bed with net in one of his family's bedrooms. As Matt and I were chatting with the family a man came to see my host father (medicine man) to have his fortune read. Matt was very much intrigued and asked to have his read as well. My father explained he can only say what he sees that is good, when they read your fortune and if they see something bad or negative they will not tell you. So Matt felt a little cheated when all he could tell him was that he will have a peaceful time in Mali and the session was over. So he asked more specific questions and received these answers. His first child will be a son and he will have three kids, only time will tell.
The next morning I woke to a rain storm that lasted until 8am. I was told to bathe and then given a cup of warm milk and bread for breakfast. I wanted to do something for my family to show my thanks for the two months I spent as a trainee living in their family. That morning I told my host mom I am making lunch, what do you want to eat rice and peanut sauce or zame? It was unanimous everyone wanted zame.

 I also went to the Mali v. Cape Verde soccer game with a great group of people.

Mali won 3-0! Now Dan wants to travel to the final in Gabon. After the game we had pizza dinner.

The next day a couple friends and I went on an exploratory stroll through Bamako and sought out the location of a nine-hole golf course we heard was near the casino. We found it! Located behind the large Libya Hotel, we were excited to play, but all agreed on what we were willing to pay before we saw the actual price for a game. We felt 5000 FCFA (about $10) was a fair price. Turns out if you are a member you get a better price, though not by much, and if you are a guest playing it is 15000 FCFA not including the extra 5000 FCFA for club rental fee. Lame-sauce, so we just walked around and sat by the pool planning our return trip to Bamako to play golf.

The last few days in Bamako I went to the National Parc du Mali. We had a picnic and strolled the park trying all the excercise stations and people watching.

Geoff is a climber so when we come back in November, he is going to scale some rocks.

The Shea Business Boot Camp

The S.B.B.C. was held at Tubaniso, Peace Corps' training nest located 30 minutes outside of Bamako. A total of twenty-two volunteers came to give it their all. It was strange getting back into a full day work routine, but a welcome change. We were divided into groups of 5 to 6 volunteers, each group was given a case study of a village(s) that were at different levels of shea production. We assessed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of our case study and began drafting a business plan. Through out the week guest speakers came to discuss; business plans, cost benefit analysis, shea politics in Mali, financial management, outreach, monitoring and evaluation, publicity, and small business marketing. Also we had several field trips into town to attend a mini shea fair with local shea producers displaying their products, a production facility, and the I.E.R. Mali's testing facility for agricultural products and understand the testing process for shea butter. At the end of the week we presented our business plans and performed a flash mob to Shakira's cover of Waka Waka (this is for Africa).

we all handle stress differently

The Boot Camp was organized very well and was quite successful. I think everyone is looking forward to the end of November. We will be bringing work counterparts to the training site for another boot camp specifically designed for our host-country work counterparts. Women from different regions of Mali coming together to discuss shea! 

You bathed.

~Yes, I am clean.
You washed your hair?
~Yes.
Did you comb your hair yet?
~Yes I did, why do you always ask if I have combed my hair??
Because, it is still wet.
~Ohhh, well my hair takes a while to dry.

Hunger Awareness Week

Participate and Share Your Story"  The Peace Corps Mali Food Security Taskforce has planned Hunger Awareness Week in order to raise awareness and personal understanding among Peace Corps volunteers and their friends and families in the United States of the difficulties Malians and millions around the world who live below the line of poverty ($1 a day) face daily combating food insecurity. Please participate, invite your friends and family participate, and send your thoughts and reflections on the week to mariofromero@gmail.com.
As Volunteers, we do live a somewhat uncomfortable life, but with gas stoves and a living allowance, it is still not truly near living at the level of our neighbors for most of us (and if it is living at the level of our neighbors, it isn't at the level of the majority). This is an exercise in reminding us of this, hopefully gives a small taste how just how far so many must go, on so little.
Rules:
The Hunger Awareness Week will begin at 12:01 AM Sunday September 11th and will last until 11:59 PM September 17th.
Peace Corps Volunteers
For one week, all participants are asked to live with only $1. Due to fluctuations in the FCFA, we will use 500 FCFA/person as the established $1/person a day.
Those volunteers that eat with a host family are asked to:
- inform their family
- try not to surpass the 500 FCFA quantity
- or abstain from eating with their family and cook for themselves as this will be easier to control.
For those that will cook and want to be strict with themselves, remember that gas used for cooking, soap bought for laundry, or any activity that involves spending additional money should be included in the 500 FCFA.
Participants with electricity and running water are asked to limit this use.
All food and consumed throughout the day should be estimated as closely as possible within the 500 FCFA (including food from care packages).
Participants in the United States
It is understood that it is significantly easier for volunteers in Mali to follow the under $1 a day rule because food is cheaper and it is easier for us to monitor our electricity and water usage.
For participants in the U.S., we would like to challenge you to eat with under $10 a day for a week.
The electricity and running water rules do not apply to you and neither does driving affect your $10/person a day allotment.
* The degree of strictness to the 500 FCFA (or $10) rule is left to the discretion of the participant. Remember that the health and welfare of the participant is our top priority and recommend that if a participant is feeling ill or is finding that participating in the event is compromising their health to stop altogether or reschedule a personal Hunger Awareness Week.

We are also encouraging participants to write stories, blogs, or poetry about their participation and submit it to mariofromero@gmail.com to be added to our Peace Corps Mali monthly newspaper or on our blog.
http://pcmalifoodsecurity.tumblr.com/

Aw sambe sambe!

Everyone meeting up at the mud-brick kitchen house

The last friday of the month of Ramadan, nearly everyone in village was making 'momi' (fried rice cakes). The children go from concession to concession begging for momi. Very similar to 'trick or treat' during Halloween.

Monday evening, August 29, was the announcement that the fast was officially ending the next day.

Day of Selifitini, Shaka wearing his new outfit with inflatable guitar

The kids walk around with groups of their friends or family, wearing their nicest outfit to say blessings and receive change and/or treats from adults. My host mother and I went to the prayer place (local school grounds) in the morning. Through out the entire day your pretty much giving and receiving blessings left and right. It is great when every once in a while people change the script and add a unique prayer. It is almost like a competition between people and how many prayers they say. 'Ala ka san were yira na' May next year be better than last; 'Ala ka here caya' May God increase your peace; 'Ala ka batow mine' May God answer your prayers'; 'Ala ka ce numan soro, ka den soro' May God give you a good husband and children; 'Ala ka keneya soro' May you be healthy.

I had village henna applied to my feet for the special occasion.
Everyone made a big deal about it, and I got compliments everywhere I went.