Ongoing preperations...

In my two previous posts, I outlined a couple of the major projects I have been working on over the past couple of months. Below is a brief outline of a few other items I have been involved in, which primarily involve gearing up for future work...

Water and Sanitation Committee

Well Construction Project

On Sunday, January 8th, after I had returned from my vacation in America, we held our monthly 'ji ni saniya tɔn sigi' (water and sanitation committee) meeting. Amongst other items on the agenda, we discussed how to proceed with our planned well project. Before I had left, we had held a village-wide meeting and obtained the buy-in of the village elders to build one well during the hot season, fully funded by the village. The next step was to schedule a second village-wide meeting, during which we would select the location of the well to be built and solidify the process of fundraising.

In loose conversations with members of the village, I realized that we may have neglected a major cost item. We had consulted the right people to obtain all of the costs required, done our due diligence to obtain current cost estimates on materials, and read the list off to everyone involved to verify we hadn't missed anything. So I assumed that since we hadn't discussed the need to pay laborers for digging the well hole, this would simply be a community operation, no payment involved. But it turned out that we do indeed need to pay villagers to dig the hole - it is simply too much work.

Therefore, on Tuesday the 17th, I met with Dramani, our 'ɲɛmɔgɔ' (president), Aliwata, our 'sɛbɛnɛkɛla' (secretary), and Daouda, our 'warimarala' (treasurer), to update our budget sheet to account for paying laborers to dig the well holes. I walked Aliwata through the process, and it turned out that instead of a 7,500 CFA (approx. $15) contribution per 'du' (household), we would have to raise 8,000 CFA (approx. $16) per 'du.'

But the men did not like the idea of raising the contribution. They argued that 7,500 CFA will be fine, we cannot raise the cost after having given the estimate in December. I explained that we need to, we accounted for all of the costs. If we do not raise the required funds, we will run out of money during the project and we will not be able to complete it. They argued that this cannot happen, there is enough money to pay for everything. I asked 'how? How are we going to pay the diggers if we haven't accounted for their fee?' I told them, 'if you can show me where that money will come from, I will relent and we can maintain the 7,500 CFA contribution.'

They claimed that items won't cost as much as we had accounted for. I said what items, exactly? Show me. They told me cement. I asked, 'how much do you think it will cost?' Turns out, the cost estimate was less than the price they had quoted. So Dramani finally said, 'okay, we'll change the fee.' Dramani said their example didn't pan out, and agreed with me that it is better to raise the price up front then to have to go back looking for additional money later.

On the following Thursday, the 19th, we held a village-wide meeting regarding the well construction project. In our previous meeting, there seemed to be some contention as to where the well should be dug. But surprisingly, they agreed right away to a location. They decided to construct it within the village, in a section where there currently is no water source nearby.

The decision for each 'du' to contribute 8,000 CFA was also free from dissent. Several of the village elders gave great speeches both on my role as the last volunteer in the community, and on how American funds had previously been obtained to build wells in all the 'kinw' (neighborhoods) of the village. Therefore, it is now the entire village's responsibility to fund one together, on their own, even if it does not directly benefit each household.

My constant message has seemed to pay off. Where I used to get push-back on my insistence on teaching skills and not providing funding, now everyone always seems to agree with me right away, and even have a tendency now to take up my stance on their own.

Our committee members and I are now working to collect the contribution from each 'du' by 'yala yala' (walking about) the village during one morning every week, separate from our standard monthly dues collection. We hope to have all of the money collected after two months, by March 19th.

Trash Collection Bins

During the village-wide meeting on Thursday, the 29th, we also discussed the construction of 'ɲama fili yɔrɔ' (trash collection bins). We are encouraging each 'du' to build their own, which entails four mud walls to contain garbage. When it is full, the garbage is simply taken to the fields as compost. People are now beginning to build bricks, so we reminded them that now is the time to plan ahead and make extra.

I share a trash pile with Sortiba, my neighbor. I recently talked to him about working together to construct our own 'ɲama fili yɔrɔ', and he said that he would like that. So I now plan on purchasing some bricks from the 'zɛnasi' (youth organization), which plans on requiring each member to make 100 bricks for fundraising. I hope that we can serve as an example for the community.

Well Treatment

When I returned to village from America during the first week of January, I was very disappointed to find that they did not treat the wells in my absence. Apparantly Dramani forgot, and Daouda claims he was too shy to remind him, thinking he might be offended. Not only that, but they failed to notice that our supply of bleach was about to run out and needed to be restocked before we could treat all of the wells.

So I lectured them a bit, telling them that it is their responsibility to remember to treat the wells each month. I will not be here much longer to remind them. I also told them, you cannot be shy! Many of the people in my village are very unconfrontational. I told them no one should take offense. There are ten people on the committee in order to help each other. It is everyone's responsibility.

So before we could treat all of the wells, we had to find a way to purchase bleach regularly. Aliwata realized that his friend, Brahman, leaves Ségou to come to our nearest market every week. We met with him on January 15th. He was more than willing to help us out, and will now serve as our buyer when we need stuff from the city. We gave him money to buy a case of bleach and he returned the following Sunday, market day, with it.

On Monday, we treated all of the village wells with bleach. I tried to hammer home to the guys that they must help each other to remember to treat the wells each month, on the day they selected. It is their responsibility, and they promised to now uphold it.

Money Collection/ Accounting

We now set aside one morning each week to 'yala yala' (walkabout) through the village to 'wari kuni' (collect the monthly dues) in each 'du' (household). Although people will occasionally forget, the process is pretty automatic right now. I just walk with them and advise them. They do all of the talking themselves. At the end of each morning of work, we all sit down and work through the accounting together, making sure that Aliwata notes all sources of income and expenditure. And although there are some difficult households, the majority are eager to pay on-time. The village has seemed to buy into the process.

Fish Pond Committee

Lassana, Youssoufu, Sorti, and Daouda rebuilding the 'jɛgɛ dumuni yɔrɔ' (fish feed area).

Before I went to America in December, the 'jɛgɛ dumuni yɔrɔ' (fish feed area) we had constructed had gone dry due to the lowering water level. I had told Sorti, the 'jɛgɛ mara yɔrɔ tɔn sigi ɲɛmɔgɔ' (fish pond committee president), that while I was away, they needed to relocate it. Unfortunately, this was never done. Sorti is a good guy, and is genuinely eager to improve his village. But he is also very forgetful, and tends to rely too much on his closest friends and family, as opposed to including the entire village.

So I stayed on him, asking him almost daily about the status. There was often other work that needed to be done. It wasn't until January 27th that Sorti finally got three other guys together to help him relocate the 'jɛgɛ dumuni yɔrɔ.' Sorti then said that he would add 'misi bɔw' (cow dung), which is eaten by the fish, to the pond. I continued to remind him of this, and it was not done until February 12th. Granted, he was in Bamako for about a week.

But I told him that as the president of the committee, it is his responsibility to coordinate the work. He must remember himself when things must be done, and must delegate tasks appropriately. I told him that although I am glad that a few men take a keen interest in the pond, it tends to only be men within his 'kin' (neighborhood). In order to make sure that the entire village buys into the pond, I suggested that he make sure to involve them all - perhaps by making each of the four 'kinw' contribute food regularly to the pond. He agreed, and said that he will do so.

Women's Garden Committee

This committee is my biggest dissappointment by far. We have not met in several months. I kept telling Mama, the 'muso nako tɔn sigi ɲɛmɔgɔ' (women's garden committee president), that we need to meet. But she was insistent that there is no point in meeting if the women haven't been able to collect a significant amount of the monthly dues. She always tells me that she will make sure that the women are collecting money, but then there is always an excuse as to why it can't be done. Whether it is the millet harvest, the rice harvest, or other work, there is always a reason why the women aren't able to collect money effectively. Either the women aren't able to work themselves, or money simply isn't available when they do.

I understand that the women work hard, but they should be able to find a way to meet at least once every two weeks, for only an hour. Because it has been so long since we've met, I consider this committee to be effectively broken right now.

Not only are the women not currently involved, but because only one of the women can write, they rely upon memory to remember who has paid until Aissetta, our 'sɛbɛnɛkɛla', can record the payments during the meeting. If we don't meet regularly, the women are likely to forget, and money is going to be lost. I told Mama all of this, and told her that this is what happens when we don't meet regularly. If money is collected or not, we need to meet in order to keep everyone involved. I told her that when I come back from Ségou next week, we have to meet. She agreed.

At least this is all happening while I am here. Hopefully they will now all see the need to make time for regular meetings, and we can begin to sort everything out. I will try my hardest to work for the future of this committee, but I can't say that I am particularly optimistic.