Social gatherings, local work, and Mali's Independence Day

My host grandfather, Yaya DIarra, passed away in mid-July. On the 40th day after a death, everyone gathers in the deceased's concession during the afternoon for prayer. During this time, the deceased's family also distributes a hand-full of candy and dates, as well as 'takola,' a small sweet-bread treat made of millet, sugar, and water. These women are rolling the dough to make the latter. Each 'takola' consists of four dough-balls pressed together to make a square.

The women cook the 'takola' at the bottom of a cauldron in a small amount of oil.

Building a foundation, 'biriki' by 'biriki'...

I had originally assumed that all of my significant work would be accomplished during 'tilɛma' (hot season). This is due to the fact that during the rest of the year, the villagers are primarily involved with agricultural practices throughout the day. Therefore, since Water and Sanitation work is generally labor-intensive, such as building pumps, wells, latrines, soak pits, etc., I figured my work would generally be put on hold until January.

But on the contrary, I have found that much of what I would now consider to be my most important initiatives require an effort year-round. These initiatives generally involve mobilizing the villagers to take an active role in the development of their village and building non-labor skills, such as accounting, communication, planning, project management, and leadership.

These are the activities which I feel can have the largest impact on the village long-term. If the villagers learn to organize and plan themselves, they can, in theory, use those skills to internally address any needs which arise in the future.

So with that said, the following is a brief synopsis of my efforts over the past month:

Water and Sanitation Committee ('ji ni saniya tɔn sigi') Monthly Dues Collection

As usual, twice during this month the men of the Water and Sanitation Committee and I walked from concession to concession within the village to collect the monthly dues owed by each household. Generally most households have paid the fee, many in advance. But several continue to hedge, complaining that they do not have the money.

Money is difficult at the moment since harvest has not yet arrived, but even with this consideration, the money that we are collecting is only 100 CFA each month, or 20 cents. This is how much many people pay each day for one round of tea, or a morning snack. So I and our committee members believe that each household does indeed have the money, but are reluctant to part with it.

At the end of each day's work, we sit down together to count the money and compare it to what was noted by the men in their books.

A couple weeks ago, I sat down with Aliwata, our 'sɛbɛnɛkɛla' (secretary), to teach him a bit of basic accounting. I showed him a format to record basic information when money is either added to or paid from the 'kɛsu,' and to keep track of the current balance. This is an important skill which may seem miniscule, but should aid the committee in all of their future endeavors.

Soap-Making Formation

Several months ago, our Water and Sanitation Committee decided to hold a soap-making formation for the women of the village. During the past month, we have proceeded in planning the formation.

At the convergence of Islam and drag?

Ladji, Isa, and Yacouba playing a little dress up during a 'shɛni' (dance party) held on 'Selideni' (the Muslim holiday at the end of Ramadan).

This year, the Islamic holy month of Ramadan lasted from August 1st through August 30th. During this time, Muslim people are obligated to fast during the daylight hours. On August 30th, the fast is broken by the Muslim holiday of 'Selideni' (Eid ul-Fitr).

Since the Bambaran people were traditionally animist, only later to be converted to Islam, there is a constant tension between the religions which can be seen daily in these communities.

I have found that though everyone considers themselves Muslim, they also wear 'boliw' (animist fetishes) for protection or good luck, such as a belt placed on all babies with leather pouches containing such items as the skull of a guinea-fowel, and perform traditional music and ceremonies in contrast to the religion.

In my village, the majority of people actually did not fast during Ramadan. Primarily only the 'cɛkɔrɔbaw' (elder men) participated in the fast. Part of the reason for this is no doubt that the holy month of Ramadan happened to take place during the period in which most of the work in the fields must be done. But despite this, I have found that other nearby villages held to the fast in much stricter fashion.

During the month, I was constantly asked about my religion. In the past, I had listened to the advice of former volunteers in describing myself as Christian. The idea is such that Malians, and religious people in general, have a hard time accepting that someone can believe in nothing. They can relate to you as long as you express some kind of religious sentiment.

But I never felt comfortable telling this lie. With no disrespect to organized religion, I feel that a big part of who I am is that I do not associate myself with any church or religious sect.