Tempering Expectations

Over the past year and nine months since I was evacuated from Makili, I have been in regular contact with our committee members over the phone. Despite their many challenges, I was generally pleased with what I heard from them about their work. But being back on the ground, I quickly learned that things were not so cut and dry. The committees remain active, but they certainly have plenty to improve upon.

One of the first things that stood out to me was just how filthy the pumps were. While I was in Makili, the village itself established the following two rules: that people must remove their shoes prior to stepping onto the concrete apron, and that the pumps were to be swept clean every morning prior to them being unlocked. But, as you can see from the picture below, neither task has been happening as of late.

The pumps are still in heavy use, providing the village with a safe, reliable drinking water source. But the water and sanitation committee's rules enforcement has left much to be desired.

More concerning was the lack of enforcement of the rule banning the slamming of the pump handle. Whereas the previous rules were primarily cosmetic in nature, this rule actually has significant ramifications regarding the longevity of the pump. When the handle is slammed, the actual components of the piston within the ground face undue stress which can lead to premature breakage and pump failure. Throughout my three weeks in village, I witnessed user after user slamming the handle without repercussion.

With that as a backdrop, I was anxious to meet with our committees to hear about their work directly from them. But with people in the rice fields every day, it was difficult to get everyone together.

After a couple of false starts due to circumstances outside of our control, we were able to finally hold a joint meeting with both the fish farm and the water and sanitation committees last Saturday. During our meeting, I asked each committee to first describe their work since I had left. We then discussed what has worked, what hasn't, and how we can improve performance.

Members of the Fish Pond and Water and Sanitation Committees after our joint meeting last Saturday.

Regular Meetings

Both committees have been meeting when issues arise, and have held meetings approximately 4 times a year, but have not continued their regular monthly meetings. We discussed how it is important to meet regularly in order to assess projects and make improvements before things actually go wrong. Both committees promised to begin meeting monthly again, including a meeting soon after I have left to formalize detailed plans to address the following issues discussed.

Fish Pond Committee

Escape Artists

The fish pond committee faced their biggest challenge during the rainy season after they had already restocked the pond with fish. They received an abnormally high amount of rainfall, which caused the pond to spill over its banks. The chain-link fencing surrounding the pond is not in good condition, with animals having dug and bent the fence up to drink from the water. So when the water extended past the pond's walls, the fish were able to swim out and escape.

Makili's fish pond during my trip in January.

Fish Feeding

Just after I had left village in 2012, I had received new information from Engineers Without Borders on how we should be feeding the fish. Instead of the jɛgɛ dumuni yɔrɔ (fish feeding area) we had constructed, we were now to begin making compost piles of rice and millet husks, cow manure, and plant material. These piles should sit in the sun for at least a month, allowing worms to develop. This food can then be cast across the surface of the pond.

I had explained this over the phone to Youssoufu. They have therefore been casting this feed across the surface of the pond as discussed, but the point of composting for a month was somehow lost. But after discussing this in person, we now understand each other and they will begin composting.

Water and Sanitation Committee

The water and sanitation committee, as a whole, has really tried. But they have suffered from a perception amongst some people in the village that with Maliki gone, there is no need to pay dues or enforce rules. This was a fear that I always had with regards to sustainability, so while I was there I always tried to make it a point that it is the village's committee, the village's pumps, the village's wells.

While the committee members, and much of the community, got the point, many people that were not as close to me did not receive the message. And unfortunately, Dramani, the president of the committee, and his committee in general have found it difficult to assert themselves in the face of adversity. Part of this is the culture - Malians generally tend to avoid conflict when possible and would rather not assert authority.

Well Construction

This particularly hurt the plans to build a new drinking water well, which required significant financial contribution from each du (household). Many households had paid even after I had left, but many more refused. So this project has ground to a halt.

Monthly Well Treatment

On the bright side, the committee has continued to treat the drinking water wells with bleach every month. They insist that this has greatly reduced the incidence of diarrheal illness in children and adults alike. Especially important because diarrhea is one of the major causes of premature death in infants. Likewise, Denmugu, the neighboring village Youssoufu, a community health worker, and I had visited together and advised to start a similar committee to treat their wells, continues to do so to this day.

Monthly Dues Collection

Well money collection for well construction has stalled, the committee has been able to sustain monthly dues collection for their kesu (savings fund). This has likely been an easier sell because this money goes directly to buying the aforementioned bleach, which is widely seen as a successful initiative throughout the village. The remaining money is left in the kesu for use on any future projects or pump repairs.

Pump Rules Enforcement

I told Dramani how proud I was that they had repaired the Diarrakela pump after it had broken earlier in the year, and that they then enforced a fine on every du in the kin (neighborhood), because they all broke the pump and would have to take responsibility. While speaking earlier with Bayani, another committee member, I had learned that this fine was not completely enforced So I asked them to explain what actually happened.

What Dramani had explained to me was exactly right. They had levied a fine against each du, but the problem came in execution. They were collecting fines but failed to document who had paid. Many households did pay, but not all, and because there is no proof, it is now a lost cause. I am not sure why they made this error - they still document the monthly dues just as we did while I was there. But they understand their error and will not make it again.

I explained that it is all well and good to enforce rules when something goes wrong, but it is more so important to enforce rules during the good times for preventative measures. This is my biggest concern.

Dramani and his committee had tried to enforce the rules even after I had left. But whenever they would assert themselves and demand payment, the violator would often fight with them and refuse to pay. When this happened in the past, we'd lock the pump, pressuring payment as the rest of the community becomes angry. Our committee tries, I know that, but they are too passive in the face of adversity. The committee simply became demoralized from their thankless job, and let the rules slide.

But they all acknowledged the importance of the rules, and accepted that without them, the pumps will break and require a significant investment in order to repair them. Sorti, the acting dugutigi (chief of the village), promised to call a village-wide meeting and lend his full support to the effort. The rules will be enforced once again, they promised. With the dugutigi and cɛkɔrɔbaw (village elders) behind the endeavor, the village as a whole will accept it.

Hand Washing with Soap

Hand washing with soap, one of those pesky behavior change initiatives, remains difficult. I know of maybe 5 households that now consistently use soap. But throughout my stay, I kept hearing people reference 'Maliki ka tɛgɛ kɔ' ( Maliki's hand washing) or 'Maliki ka safinɛ' (Maliki's soap) when stating how they have to use soap when eating with me. Obviously, this has yet to catch fire in the village, but hopefully slowly more people will pick up the habit.

Domestic Water Treatment with Bleach

Two years ago, my good friend Daoudani, the treasurer of our committee, and I had measured out how much bleach is required to treat a standard fien (clay pot used for water storage). One standard soda bottle cap provided an easy-to-follow standard. With this information, the committee could then advise people to treat their own drinking water easily at home.

During the past month while I was back in village, a couple of people actually asked me how they could go about treating their own water. On their own, many people have understood its importance. But Daoudani himself brought up a major concern from personal experience.

For over a year after I had left, he continued to treat his water at home. He and his family, who had all previously suffered severe bouts of diarrhea and stomach illness monthly, were no longer getting sick. But Daoudani ran into another problem, stemming from the communal nature of Malian society.

When traveling to other villages, or even households, he would as always, drink his host's water. Carrying your own water when traveling just doesn't happen, and could even be seen as rude in this society. But unfortunately, Daoudani found that he was getting much more sick when traveling than he ever did before he began treating his own water. This makes sense, and is the same reason I get more sick from contaminated water in village than a native Malian does. When you are used to drinking treated water, your body may generally be healthier, but you may also lose the immunity to the every day bacteria and viruses found in local untreated drinking water when your body is no longer used to ingesting them.

In a strongly communal society, where social visits are constant and food and water are expected to be shared, water treatment is an endeavor best undertaken at one time by the community as a whole. It is very difficult for one household to begin to do so if the rest of the village does not follow suit. Yet behavior change, by nature, is always a slow, gradual process. Daoudani is right to bring up this point, and I wish I had an answer to his dilemma.

Women's Garden Committee

Unfortunately, I was never able to meet with the women's garden committee. They were always the hardest committee to get moving, due to the fact that only one member could write, and she was just learning at that. This makes dues collection difficult. I was told they are working on it, but that they are well behind on collection.

A woman's plot of jaba (onions) in the foreground, with papaya trees, a strong staple of the garden at the moment, in the background. To the right, women fetch water from one of the four wells to water their plots.

The garden itself, however, is doing fairly well. Although the women's garden itself has a lot of dried plots at the moment, I was told by many women that they had finished harvesting their vegetables for the season and are preparing to begin anew. But a large number of plots were very green and productive. Papaya trees have especially proved bountiful. All four wells within the garden are fully functional.