Samena, Mali

Saturday


August 14, 2010

True to form I write again on a very rainy day here in Mali. I woke up this morning to the sound of steady rain falling against my tin roof. This has become a welcome sound because it not only means that the temperature will be cool for a few hours but also that there will be quite around the village, which believe me is something to cherish.

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Another view of my concession

I am sitting on the porch of my new house watching the rain flood my courtyard. I live in a two room concrete building which was built by the french at the end of the colonial period. Besides my house and the three school buildings all other structures- houses and mosques- in the village are made of mud brick. I have a mud wall enclosing the courtyard which has two large trees which provide an immense amount of shade keeping the area pretty cool. I am very happy with the set up. The house has pretty high ceilings and two large windows. As those of you who have ever lived with me can imagine, I already have some plans for decorating!

The volunteer I am replacing was here with me for the first two days. He showed me around town pointing out the important spots like the only reliable place to get cellphone reception. He gave me some bits of insider information such as not to worry when I see a man in a turban staring at the house, his name is Ali- not all there but friendly and harmless, at least someone is looking out for me! He introduced me to the important people in village and told them that I would be replacing him. My lack of language has proven to be a challenge as Zach leaves pretty fluent and the villagers have to start new with someone I can only imagine it is very frustrating. But I take comfort in the fact that this is the third time they have done this as I am their third volunteer here.

House in Samane

My counterpart, Adama, seems to be very nice. He was the counterpart for the other two volunteers and understands this process-- or at least the storyline I have made up in my head tells me he understands. I have started to do this, as I have no idea what people are saying and for that matter don't really understand why people do a lot of the things they do, I have started to make up reasons and this has turned into a storyline-- whatever keeps you sane, right?

Some of Adama's Children

When a community requests a volunteer and are chosen to receive one they must provide certain things for the volunteer- a two room house, a host family, a counterpart and so on. The community chooses all of these things from within. These people are not paid but do this as part having a volunteer. The counterparts are choose, or so I am told, because they are influential within the community and can help the volunteer integrate, identify community needs and successfully implement projects. Not only is Adama very involved with in the community as he is the president of several communities but, as Zach told me, one of the main reasons he was originally chosen (four years ago) was because he used to work at the fishing docks, on the Niger river and everyday would eat lunch with the boat owner who happened to be white. Therefore, Adama was the one in the community most used to dealing with white people and this was the main reason he was chosen. It is I must admit interesting to be the only white person within a twenty km radius- never in my life have I felt more popular.

View of the porch

In addition to Adama and his family I have a host-family. The Peace Corps requires that each volunteer have these two points of contact within village so the volunteer is provided with at least two families who are looking out for them when in village. I was assigned to the dugutiki's house (the chief of the village). My host dad is the dugutiki's younger brother. So far all this has meant is that I eat dinner with him every night. Usually they eat to (millet flower pounded into a jello texture green substance) and okra sauce but because it is Ramadan (started a few days ago) we get fish in addition to this. Two nights ago was my first time eating with him. We finished the to and then, he reached into a bowl and he proceeded to rip the whole fish in half and shove one half of it in my hand. Never in my life had I been so grateful for lack of electricity! Zach was sitting there and informed me, that when he eats fish he has found it best to slurp it so that you don't, by mistake, eat bones. And so I began to slurp. I am not sure what part of the fish I ate thanks to the darkness, the textures were strange but I must say, it was the best fish I have ever had! Many weeks ago, our LCF Brahmia told us a saying they have in Bambara. It says that when you are far away from your mother's cooking you must not ask your brain in something is good you must only ask your tongue. In this case, I could not agree with him more.