I got up early the other day to go to the bank since i was BROKE! Its a three mile trip one way so i got up an hour before the bank opened to bike out there and get in line early. Well, i get there about 7:35 to find the door still locked... Odd. The guard just looks at me and says "The banks closed for the holiday" I had no idea it was a holiday so I ask, what holiday. He tells me the 26th of March, duhh! I told him i didn't know the 26th of March was a holiday and he just tells me "Silly white girl, of course its a holiday. The bank opens at 8 tomorrow."
So i have to bike the 3 miles back home, still broke and frustrated. Somehow i had to survive on $0.12 for the day. Street food for me.
The next day, Saturday, i woke up early and made the same 3 mile trek out to the bank, AGAIN! This time i was greeted by 100 Malians wanting to withdraw money too. I was there, at the bank at 7:35 again and this time i surely wasn't the first one there. I went and pulled my number ticket and i was literally 100 people behind. AHHH, not an ideal way to spend a Saturday morning. But at least there is air conditioning, cold water, and i had a fully charged iPod in my pocket. I sat there for 4 hours. 4 HOURS!!! I don't know how it takes people so long to go to the counter, ask for money, count the money and sign a piece of paper?
The bank shuts and locks the doors at 11 and i don't get up to the counter until almost 1. I ask the man how much money i have, he tells me a sum way higher than i thought i had (SCORE!) and i take out what i need for the next month. Done and done. I was at the counter for less than two minutes. Now i got stuck biking back 3 miles in the hottest part of the day...
Every Monday is market day for Segou. So today i had the day off of work and thought I would go to the market and pick up some stuff I needed for my house. I slept in a bit, read a bit of my book and since the market doesn't get going until about 10, I thought I would stop by the Post Office.
Back in Guinea my mail came to my door step once a month. Every first Friday (following the first Monday) of the Month it was my little Christmas Day. However here in Mali I have to go to the post office. I find this a much more dissapointing method. I know I have at least 2 packages coming my way so i have been checking the post office regularly and have left empty handed many times.
Today I found out however that packages come in from Bamako on Tuesday and Thursday of every week. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this week I finally get my packages.
Don't let this detur you from sending packages!!! I have NEVER (knock on wood) not gotten a package that was sent to me!
When I was done at the post office I didn't feel like fighting my way threw the crowds in the market so I went to my local boutique (shop) and bought some of the things that I needed.
Its just getting too hot and dusty to do anything anymore. So I biked home and contemplated what color turban I want to buy. (I ultimitly decided on green)
When I got home, it was time to burn my trash and clean my house. You would not believe how much dust i had in my house. I know everyone complains about dust, but we have small dust storms here everyday and when its so hot you have to leave your windows open and the dust just goes everywhere. Its rediculous!! But I cleaned, thats all that matters I guess.
Only 2 more months until i get to come back to America for a VACATION!
Thanks Aunt Mary and Uncle John, just got your letter today!! Loved the Easter Card!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Take Your Daughters To Work Day 2010
During the week of March 22-25 twenty middle school aged girls came from all around the Segou region for our first annual girl’s conference. The theme of this year’s conference was “Take Your Daughter to Work Day!”
On Monday, we split the girls into 4 groups of 5 girls to go to a work shadow. I was one of the volunteer chaperones to go to my work and interview female working women. Unlucky for me, two women from my work weren’t there that day which left us with one woman to interview. The girls spent several hours the night before preparing questions so passing the four hours was easy.
My favorite question:
Jeanne “How do you work all day and manage a family?”
Fatimata “I wake up at 4 to start making breakfast for the morning and preparing rice for lunch. I go to work from 8-4 and then come home, sweep the floors, wash dishes and start making dinner. Then every Sunday, my only day off of work, I do laundry for my three kids, husband and myself.” (Not to mention, laundry is all done with a washboard and bucket, sweeping is with a small hand broom and preparing food is three rocks with burning wood underneath.)
After being here this long, it is still hard to believe that this is possible. These women work sun up to sun down literally everyday with out complaining once in their life. After hearing that, it isn’t hard to see why there isn’t a large work force of women in West Africa. But at the same time it is motivating to hear that it can be done.
Because of the style of the conference, we did some of the conference in local language and then about 2/3 in French. Lucky me, I was the only volunteer who spoke good French and I was also the volunteer that had the highest language skills period so I got stuck running most of the sessions or at least translating sections of sessions. That is something we need to work on for next year. The sessions were supposed to be run in bambara but children are never taught to write in bambara, only French. So as soon as anything needed to be written, class had to switch over to French. But it worked out somehow.
We also had a student panel from the trade school where 2 student secretaries, 1 student accountant, and 2 student public health personnel came to talk to the girls. Tons of questions were asked about what is accounting? What does a secretary do? How many boys are in your classes? Where do you get money for school? How can I become a secretary? These were great questions and with the motivating answers the students gave, the girls started to open their eyes to the idea of continuing school and getting a real job.
We did tons of team building exercises including; human knot, human chair, sharks and minnows, limbo (just for fun), telephone, and name game. These girls have never been exposed to crazy games like this and they were very hesitant to trust us at first, but once we did an example and they started opening up everyone had tons of fun.
Overall the week went very well. Information was traded between the girls and volunteers about women’s roles in the house, work, Africa and America. Hopefully we opened the eyes of some of these girls that there is more to life than marrying at 16, having babies and then running a house (sadly this is normal). We showed them women that can do both, women that go to university and wait for marriage, women who were married that are now widowed or divorced and work for a living.
Playing Telephone
Human Knot
Human Chair
On Monday, we split the girls into 4 groups of 5 girls to go to a work shadow. I was one of the volunteer chaperones to go to my work and interview female working women. Unlucky for me, two women from my work weren’t there that day which left us with one woman to interview. The girls spent several hours the night before preparing questions so passing the four hours was easy.
My favorite question: Jeanne “How do you work all day and manage a family?”
Fatimata “I wake up at 4 to start making breakfast for the morning and preparing rice for lunch. I go to work from 8-4 and then come home, sweep the floors, wash dishes and start making dinner. Then every Sunday, my only day off of work, I do laundry for my three kids, husband and myself.” (Not to mention, laundry is all done with a washboard and bucket, sweeping is with a small hand broom and preparing food is three rocks with burning wood underneath.)
After being here this long, it is still hard to believe that this is possible. These women work sun up to sun down literally everyday with out complaining once in their life. After hearing that, it isn’t hard to see why there isn’t a large work force of women in West Africa. But at the same time it is motivating to hear that it can be done.
Because of the style of the conference, we did some of the conference in local language and then about 2/3 in French. Lucky me, I was the only volunteer who spoke good French and I was also the volunteer that had the highest language skills period so I got stuck running most of the sessions or at least translating sections of sessions. That is something we need to work on for next year. The sessions were supposed to be run in bambara but children are never taught to write in bambara, only French. So as soon as anything needed to be written, class had to switch over to French. But it worked out somehow.
We also had a student panel from the trade school where 2 student secretaries, 1 student accountant, and 2 student public health personnel came to talk to the girls. Tons of questions were asked about what is accounting? What does a secretary do? How many boys are in your classes? Where do you get money for school? How can I become a secretary? These were great questions and with the motivating answers the students gave, the girls started to open their eyes to the idea of continuing school and getting a real job.
We did tons of team building exercises including; human knot, human chair, sharks and minnows, limbo (just for fun), telephone, and name game. These girls have never been exposed to crazy games like this and they were very hesitant to trust us at first, but once we did an example and they started opening up everyone had tons of fun.
Overall the week went very well. Information was traded between the girls and volunteers about women’s roles in the house, work, Africa and America. Hopefully we opened the eyes of some of these girls that there is more to life than marrying at 16, having babies and then running a house (sadly this is normal). We showed them women that can do both, women that go to university and wait for marriage, women who were married that are now widowed or divorced and work for a living.
Playing Telephone
Human Knot
Human Chair
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Marketing in Markets, radio stations, bogalon and tea
Yesterday, my boss asked me what we were going to do for the day. I know in america your boss rairly asks you what you want to do and more tells you what to do but here i have a unique situation. I told Diarra, my boss, I have no idea and reminded him that he is the boss. This went on for a bit and finally i suggested that we go to the market and talk to women about finance.
So Diarra and i go over to one of the three markets in my town. I can tell that he wasn't very comfortable just walking up to people talking about our micro-credit institution so i started us off. I saw some lady sitting infront of a mountain of lettuce and hot peppers and i used my very limited local langue to strike up a conversation. I quickly ran out of things i knew how to say and thankfully Diarra took over and started promoting Miselini (the name of my work) and explaining how micro-credit works. Once he got the hang of it i started wondering around the market. I have learned to love markets, all the bright colors, piles of foods i've never seen and keep saying "I should try that" but rarely do. Once Diarra and I had talked to about six people he said we were done for the day and would return another day. I enjoyed walking around, making friends, and doing a little bit of work.
Then Diarra wanted to go and visit a friend at a radio station, so away we went. Surprisingly his friend was an english teacher too so he was very interested in what ever i had to say, as long as it was in english. I got shown around the station and even got to go on air for a hot second... yikes, me in french on the air. Someone there even told me I look like Alicia Keys with my hair braided. (Ha, last time i checked, i look nothing like her)
Next to the radio station is a bogalon cloth dyeing place that Diarra wanted to show me. Bogalon is using different types of mud from the rivers, bark and leafs from the trees to dye white cotton cloth. Its very traditional african. They explained some of the symbols and what gave the different colors and then we were given our own little square of cloth to africanize. I painted my yellow cloth with the mud and set it out in the sun to dry while i was given a tour of where they make the dyes and how they apply it. Very cool! By the time the tour was done my cloth was dry and it was time to leave since the sun was getting high in the sky and it was time for a nap!
With the heat it is impossible to do anything in the afternoon so i use that time for my daily mid-afternoon nap! Around 5 when it started cooling off a little more i dared to go out and find tea. When i say tea, its nothing like what you are picturing. Tea is a traditional past time that takes hours to prepare. It is very strong sugary green tea surved in a shot glass. I love it! Normally you share three glasses, however i only stayed for the first two and then i got hungery. I have fallen in love with "cho furu furu" which i guess is bean cake is how you would translate it. Maybe i've just been in Africa too long but i swear it tastes like hush puppies from Long John Silvers. So i get some of those with hot peppers and call it a day.
I know it doesn't sound like much, but overall this may have been one of the best days i've had in Mali.
Oh i also want to thank
-Grandma for the People's magazine i just got
-Aunt Mary for the nice letter and photos
Keep the letters and love a coming!
So Diarra and i go over to one of the three markets in my town. I can tell that he wasn't very comfortable just walking up to people talking about our micro-credit institution so i started us off. I saw some lady sitting infront of a mountain of lettuce and hot peppers and i used my very limited local langue to strike up a conversation. I quickly ran out of things i knew how to say and thankfully Diarra took over and started promoting Miselini (the name of my work) and explaining how micro-credit works. Once he got the hang of it i started wondering around the market. I have learned to love markets, all the bright colors, piles of foods i've never seen and keep saying "I should try that" but rarely do. Once Diarra and I had talked to about six people he said we were done for the day and would return another day. I enjoyed walking around, making friends, and doing a little bit of work.
Then Diarra wanted to go and visit a friend at a radio station, so away we went. Surprisingly his friend was an english teacher too so he was very interested in what ever i had to say, as long as it was in english. I got shown around the station and even got to go on air for a hot second... yikes, me in french on the air. Someone there even told me I look like Alicia Keys with my hair braided. (Ha, last time i checked, i look nothing like her)
Next to the radio station is a bogalon cloth dyeing place that Diarra wanted to show me. Bogalon is using different types of mud from the rivers, bark and leafs from the trees to dye white cotton cloth. Its very traditional african. They explained some of the symbols and what gave the different colors and then we were given our own little square of cloth to africanize. I painted my yellow cloth with the mud and set it out in the sun to dry while i was given a tour of where they make the dyes and how they apply it. Very cool! By the time the tour was done my cloth was dry and it was time to leave since the sun was getting high in the sky and it was time for a nap!
With the heat it is impossible to do anything in the afternoon so i use that time for my daily mid-afternoon nap! Around 5 when it started cooling off a little more i dared to go out and find tea. When i say tea, its nothing like what you are picturing. Tea is a traditional past time that takes hours to prepare. It is very strong sugary green tea surved in a shot glass. I love it! Normally you share three glasses, however i only stayed for the first two and then i got hungery. I have fallen in love with "cho furu furu" which i guess is bean cake is how you would translate it. Maybe i've just been in Africa too long but i swear it tastes like hush puppies from Long John Silvers. So i get some of those with hot peppers and call it a day.
I know it doesn't sound like much, but overall this may have been one of the best days i've had in Mali.
Oh i also want to thank
-Grandma for the People's magazine i just got
-Aunt Mary for the nice letter and photos
Keep the letters and love a coming!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
International Women's Day
Most of you may not realize that March 8th is International Women’s Day. I had never heard of it until Africa so don’t feel too bad if you had never heard of it either. Last year, my small Guinean village didn’t celebrate it (sadly), whoever this year in Mali we did.
To start off all of the women from my work and I had traditional outfits made with festive fabric. I even went and got my hair braided, partly for the holiday and mostly because it’s too hot. On the morning of the 8th I was told to meet my work ladies by the parking place somewhere by a stop sign. I know real specific. So I find the stop sign I think I’m supposed to be at and hope for the best. There are tons of people there and I know there is no way I am going to find who I am looking for. At that point I am just relying on my white skin to stand out and for them to find me. I get bored of waiting so I start to wander around a bit and then some man comes up to me and grabs me by the arm and kindly leads me over to a bunch of chairs and tells me to sit. So I figure at least if I can’t find my friends at least I’m sitting in the shade.
Surprisingly enough they did find me and we all sat down together. I asked what was going on today since a huge stage was set up and a crowd was forming. No one had any idea. So we sat. Eventually my complimentary water baggie (yes they put water in square plastic bags here) showed up, followed by my free coke and then the most surprising thing of all, my free can of beer. Yes Castel (one of the “brewers” here) was publicizing a new beer and was handing out cans. Mind you, I’m still in a Muslim country where drinking is very much frowned upon. I had no idea what to do. Do I take it or not… Once the ladies next to me took their cans I figured it was ok. Its 10 o’clock in the morning and people are cracking open bottles of beer in public. That just never happens here. I’m looking at the can a little bit closer and I realize it is 0% alcohol. They handed my alcohol less beer. Now mind you, I don’t like Castel, it kind of tastes like pee, formaldehyde and what I imagine anthrax to taste like all in one. So I kindly just left my can on the ground to see a little kid run up and take it.
The events that day were 4 speeches in French that were given by different governmental men thanking women for all of their work around the house and in the community followed by 15 speeches given by different women all in bambara (local language that I can barely understand). I kind of fell asleep during those. Once all those speeches were over there was a skit that I once again couldn’t understand but gauging the laughter of everyone else it was hilarious.
Even though I didn’t understand the majority of what was going on (what else is new) March 8, 2010 turned out to be a great day honoring the women of Segou for all of their hard work.
To start off all of the women from my work and I had traditional outfits made with festive fabric. I even went and got my hair braided, partly for the holiday and mostly because it’s too hot. On the morning of the 8th I was told to meet my work ladies by the parking place somewhere by a stop sign. I know real specific. So I find the stop sign I think I’m supposed to be at and hope for the best. There are tons of people there and I know there is no way I am going to find who I am looking for. At that point I am just relying on my white skin to stand out and for them to find me. I get bored of waiting so I start to wander around a bit and then some man comes up to me and grabs me by the arm and kindly leads me over to a bunch of chairs and tells me to sit. So I figure at least if I can’t find my friends at least I’m sitting in the shade.
Surprisingly enough they did find me and we all sat down together. I asked what was going on today since a huge stage was set up and a crowd was forming. No one had any idea. So we sat. Eventually my complimentary water baggie (yes they put water in square plastic bags here) showed up, followed by my free coke and then the most surprising thing of all, my free can of beer. Yes Castel (one of the “brewers” here) was publicizing a new beer and was handing out cans. Mind you, I’m still in a Muslim country where drinking is very much frowned upon. I had no idea what to do. Do I take it or not… Once the ladies next to me took their cans I figured it was ok. Its 10 o’clock in the morning and people are cracking open bottles of beer in public. That just never happens here. I’m looking at the can a little bit closer and I realize it is 0% alcohol. They handed my alcohol less beer. Now mind you, I don’t like Castel, it kind of tastes like pee, formaldehyde and what I imagine anthrax to taste like all in one. So I kindly just left my can on the ground to see a little kid run up and take it.
The events that day were 4 speeches in French that were given by different governmental men thanking women for all of their work around the house and in the community followed by 15 speeches given by different women all in bambara (local language that I can barely understand). I kind of fell asleep during those. Once all those speeches were over there was a skit that I once again couldn’t understand but gauging the laughter of everyone else it was hilarious.
Even though I didn’t understand the majority of what was going on (what else is new) March 8, 2010 turned out to be a great day honoring the women of Segou for all of their hard work.
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