Tabaski 2010

Tabaski is the Muslim holiday that celebrates the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son to God, then at the last second God presented a ram instead to sacrifice.

In Mali they sacrifice sheep or goat after the morning prayer. I went to Marks village this year for the celebration. Early in the morning we got dressed up in our matching Malian outfits to go to the prayer in the open field in town. The men were able to pray in the shade while the women were in the direct sunlight.

After the prayers were over, Mark and I followed the parade of people leaving the prayer and marching threw village singing religious songs to the mosque in the center of town.

When we made it to the mosque we found out that Marks co-worker was the one in charge of leading the prayers which is a very respectable job.

Once all the prayers were done, it was time to kill the goat. I had no part in the killings or the cooking for that matter which is how i preferred it. It is not pretty work killing and cleaning a goat. However it sure was tasty. I ate so much meat, which is a luxury.

This was my first traditional village tabaski since i've been in Africa so i was happy i was able to share this experience in Marks village with his friends and mine.

Two years, Two countries

December 6th marked my two years in Africa. It is so hard to believe that two years ago I was setting off into an un-known world, not knowing what to expect. And its even more unbelievable how fast I adapted to life in Guinea.

When I set off for my two years in the Peace Corps i was sent to a small village where i didn't know the language, didn't understand the customs and cultures, didn't know where to turn or how to make a phone call. I even had to re-learn to eat. Everything about my life in Guinea i had to learn from the beginning. The first meal I shared with my host family, there was no spoon. I had to reach my hand into a hot bowl of rice and try to make a ball of rice and my hand fit into my mouth. I spilled rice all over myself. With each falling grain of rice I couldn't help but think, I’m spilling these peoples livelihood all over my lap. Sedda Sedda (small small) my Pular came along. I remember the first day I could go to a market and order all of my food in Pular. It was such a success to be able to have a conversation, no matter the content in the local language, and the first time I had to pull water from the well and thought I would loose my glasses down the well. I also remember the day that the children by my house stopped calling me Porto (outsider or white) and started calling me by my Guinean name, Oumou Kesso Barry. There were many days where I spent hanging out with a group of 7th graders under an avocado tree. I looked forward to my afternoon tea time with those kids everyday. I felt included and looked after hanging out with them. Despite the fact that we had nothing in common they were some of my best friends.

I also had to learn to be away from my family and how to build a new family. At first especially i had a hard time being away from everyone and everything i knew. I didn't have access to phones or internet and letters and packages only came once a month bringing special treats from loved ones. I had to accept my host family as my new family. The children helped me with everything and looked up to me like a big sister.

I was also able to share my experiences with the village. I helped at the village health center, weighing babies and encouraging mothers to feed their children more so they can become healthier and stronger. I shared information about hand washing and ways to prevent Malaria. I taught an English class where I encouraged students to continue with their education so they too can one day make a difference. I worked with a women’s group trying to promote the rights of women and helped them find some financial independence from their husbands. I worked on a polio campaign to give free vaccinations to children and inform families to the benefits of western medicine.

While doing all of those things I was fighting off sickness and political unrest. In my year in Guinea I had been so sick many different times. There are different standards of clean and sicknesses run wild. When I first arrived in Guinea the president Conate died leaving the presidential seat wanted by all. There was a bloodless coup d'etat that followed with military enforced curfews. It became very common to see AK-47's and traveling around the country became more difficult and dangerous.

In September 2009 the military open fired on a stadium of unarmed peaceful protesters. 157 reported dead and the capital city, Conakry was not the same. It became too hard to keep volunteers in Guinea and we were evacuated to Bamako, Mali.

After a month of limbo, the Guinea program was closed leaving 97 volunteers heartbroken and homeless. We had the choice to transfer countries, close our service or take a leave and wait for guinea to re-open. I ended up transferring to Mali because I felt that my service was incomplete and I would be able to experience a new place. There with nine other Guinea volunteers that transferred with me to Mali and could help share the feelings of having to start lost and out of place all over.

My new home in Mali is in Segou, a large regional capital with all of the amenities of a large African city. I was happy to accept a house with running water, electricity and I even have internet access everyday at the Peace Corps house.

My transition into Malian life was cushioned by the amenities but I still miss my Guinea village and think of them often. My lifestyle between my village in Guinea and my life in Segou is almost incomparable. In Segou, I live alone inside a family compound and have very little interaction with them. I go to work every morning and socialize with Americans on a daily basis. Also, I started dating Mark in December and have enjoyed splitting my time between his village and my city. This has allowed me to have the village interactions I was missing from Guinea and Mark and I can share the hardship of being ripped from one country and installed in another since he was one of the nine that came from guinea.

I have spent the last year working specifically with a micro-finance institution called Miselini. I set up a marketing campaign so they could reach out and grow their clientele however hit a wall after giving out 12.000.000 CFA or $60,000 to 24 women’s groups and had to turn down women who needed credit to grow their business and help their family. I worked along side the president of Miselini to apply for a partnership between Miselini and Kiva International. I felt that Kiva would be a good fit because it is a no-interest loan from American’s. Please check out the Kiva website to find out more ways that you can change lives. http://www.kiva.org/

Over the last two years I have learned to make Africa my home. I have been exposed to so many new cultures and customs that I would never have been able to understand from America. I have meet some of the poorest people in the world and been able to break bread with them and travel to some of the most naturally beautiful places. I will never take for granted running water again. The project I am working on will not be done by my original COS date, therefore I just submitted my extension until August 2011. I am looking forward to the next nine months that I have left in Mali despite the hot season where temperatures can raise over 120 degrees.

I would like to specifically thank certain family members that have sent me countless packages that help keep me sane and full of tasty American food.
-Mom and Dad: almost every month I get at least one package from you with things that keep me in touch with America and with what is going on with the family while I’m away.
-Aunt Betty and Uncle Dan and all the Curley’s: I don’t even know how to thank you for all of the food you have sent me. You have made me very popular among the volunteers when I share my food with them. And all of those jelly beans were devoured by my work and Marks village.
-Grandma: I love the letters you send on a regular basis. I know I’m not good at sitting down and writing you back but I enjoy reading what you are up to and whenever you send the grandma crackers or homemade cookies its like I had just been to your house in Tennessee.
-Uncle Tim: I love the music, books and brownies you send
-Aunt Bonnie, Uncle Wes, and Kyle: Thanks so much for everything you send

And a huge thank you to everyone else who has sent me cards, letters and packages. I know how expensive things are to send here and I truly appreciate everything.

The Bamako Zoo

While I was in Bamako the last time some of us went to the zoo. When I first got to Mali I was really surprised there was a zoo, and then when i found out it was only $.10 to enter i had to go.


When you walk in, you are greated with shreaking monkeys. People had brought in peanuts to threw to the animals so we watched the monkeys catch and fight over peanuts for a bit. Then we found some donkeys in cages. The irony of donkeys in a zoo here is funny because donkeys are in every village as work animals. It would be almost the equivalent of golden labs in a zoo in America.

We also found a baby elephant. The elephant also loved when people feed it peanuts and was standing at the gate entertaning people for food. I almost had my camera eaten by the elephant while trying to take photos. All of us had a chance to pet the elephants truck. I guess i never really thought about what an elephant would feel like but they are corse and hairy. Not plesent to pet at all.

We also saw a pumba (wharthog), a lion, several panthers, hyenas, turtles, and wolves. The bamako zoo isn't really compairable to american zoo's because the cages are tiny and most of them are just concrete slabs with bars. There are not the fun, themed exhibits. So there is a general feeling of depression coming from the animals.

I however really enjoyed the zoo. Despite the fact that the animal cages are small you were allowed to get right up there and pet the animals. Even the panther cage i could have stuck my hand in, if i wanted. But this gave a real chance to see the animals. A lot of time in American zoos you search for the animal and only get to see it from far away.

Thanksgiving 2010

Now some of you may remember last year I helped cook the traditional family style thanksgiving, and i almost lost a leg in the proses. So this year I happily took the invite to go to Sikasso (the southern region of Mali) where a group dinner is prepared.

Thursday
Around four in the afternoon about 60 of my closest Mali volunteer friends got together inside the civil center of Sikasso to sit down for thanksgiving dinner. There was a cooler of salad, a tub of green beans, a bucket of mashed potatoes and five turkeys! Now if that wasn't enough (and it was enough but it's thanksgiving) so there were apple pies and pumpkin pies!!! Now i'm sure most people wouldn't think this is possible for 60 people to finish all that food, but we sure tried and came close to finishing.

It wasn't the same as being at Aunt Bettys house with family but it was really nice to see some old faces and meet tons of new ones. Not having gone threw training in Mali, i'm not as close with some of the volunteers but being able to spend a major holiday weekend with them sure was nice.

Friday
Friday afternoon we had rented out a pool and got to enjoy the fun in the sun. No black friday shopping for me. (Well i think i went and bought an avocado in the market but there was no pushing or sales so i don't think that counts.) The pool was a funny color so few people went in, but i enjoyed sitting in the sun.

There were also donkey races. Two volunteers at a time would race donkeys. Sounds easy but from what i saw, not the case. I didn't race but people were struggling to make the donkey go in the right direction or even go at all.

For dinner the volunteers of Sikasso cooked up burritos! There was rice and beans and guac and everything. So taisty.

Now needless to say, I eat well those two days!

Saturday

Saturday morning a group of about 14 of us meet up to go out to the water falls just outside of Sikasso. We filled two taxis and left. Most of the trip was on a nice paved road but the last 3 miles was on a dirt trail barley wide enough for the car. Then the path got too narrow for the car. We had to get out and walk maybe the last mile. There were dirt cliffs we had to climb down, and otherones we had to climb up. And worst of all there was a bamboo bridge we had to cross. It wasn't high at all but to keep your balance with a back pack can be tricky. But we all made it across just fine. Once we finally got to the falls it was increadable.

This was one of the prettiest places i've seen, so instead of me trying to explain it, i'll just put up some photos.


After playing around in the falls a group of us climbed up to the top part of the falls. The climb was a bit interesting. There is no path up so we just went in the general direction. Climbed over rocks and forged threw sholder high grass. The climb was well worth it because on top of the falls was even prettier than below. There were also pools you could swim in, Mark and I made tree leafs into boats and tried to race them over the falls and then just relaxed in the sun.


We were spending the night out there so before the sun set we had to climb down and set up camp, make a fire and make dinner. Another car of volunteers ended up showing up so there were a lot of us spending the night. There were pop up bug nets everywhere. I didn't have a sleeping pad so i had to sleep inside my bug net on the rocks. Between the rocks and the rushing sound of the falls i had a hard night sleeping. But watching the sun rise over the falls was breathtaking.