Some Pictures and a Thank You

First of all, I would like to thank Catharine Parker and 'The Reach Club' at Milton Academy for the fundraising that they did for the literacy center. These high schoolers raised $800 selling purses made by Malian woman in my village. The village of Farakala and myself are very grateful to you. Thanks Catharine!!!

And now some pictures as promised :

The literacy center with director Bocar posing in the doorway and the director's office in the background

Director's office

One of the classrooms (We got electricity installed)

Me and my beautiful host mother, Kadiatou

Me at my best friend, Bocar's, wedding with his charming new bride Korotumu

Easter egg hunt in Farakala. The kids loved it. Decorated with permanent marker and pastels

The winner of the hunt: my little host brother Olivier

Spaghetti night at my friend's house!

I showed the old man (village chief) in the pink shirt the digital picture after it was taken and he looked astonished while he said "wow, I have a white beard, I am an old man!!" (apparently he hasn't seen a mirror in quite some time)

More wedding celebrations

Me and my little Malian buggers

Salimata Sanogo --> Katharine Stofer

Since we’re coming down to my last month here in country I’m basically working on tying up the loose ends for the construction of the literacy school i.e. replacing the ugly weeds in the school yard with new life : mango trees and magenta flowers. The only construction work left is to build the latrine walls (yes, H.M.Rosko, a latrine is not a latrine unless it has walls. Idiot).

In the last couple of months we have completed another teacher training, this time in Senoufo literacy, a follow-up grammar training, the government certification of three more teachers and the start of a new program called “Champs d’Alpha” or ‘Literacy Fields’. For our ‘Literacy fields’ program, each of the 12 villages involved in the literacy program of Farakala will donate between 1 and 3 hectares of land to plant and cultivate either millet or corn. Proceeds will go to the literacy caisse (bank account) and hopefully take care of any maintenance issues that may come up after I leave. The money we have in the literacy caisse right now will be used for purchasing and delivering fertilizer and paying 2 professionals as supervisors of the program.

We’re also in the works of planning the inauguration of the new school, which should happen around June 15 depending on whether or not the minister of education can make it (he’s a Sanogo, like me, so his presence on inauguration day is in my favor). We’ll do the official opening of the center and at the same time it will be my departure party. So basically: music, tears, so many hand shakes, killing of sheeps and lots of eats, cutting of ribbons and so much love. Farewell Farakala ; or love you land of the together-people, free from time and full of freedom.

Birthday celebration was good. Bluegrass, bubbles, banjos (CMC + Sweetgrass), ice. ice. ice., baby (so hot here), inner tubes, flat tires, chocolate creamcheese frosted cakes, tequila, and pizza (Yes, REAL CHEESE!)

Coming home the 23rd of June. Hello shiny America with Cheese. My sweet dirty friend-filled fried-filled sweaty marvelous Mali; you will be so missed. You will be so very missed. But the memories will be in my journey forever.

The past few months...

Me with a couple friends during a Malian holiday

November I found myself caught up in the politics of Farakala. We finally arranged elections for the official literacy committee. I wasn’t prepared for the amount of chaos that went down in the foyer that day; however, it was good to see that people were concerned enough about the program to be that engaged. The election day finally came and 7 hours and a few overturned tables later, the committee was decided upon. Discussions of the elections days’ events and the turnout of the committee are still trickling into the daily gossip in Farakala.

The month of December was one of fun-filled voyages and far too little time at site. I started off the month with a PC-paid visit to Senegal with two other volunteers for a West African Volunteers conference. I did a few presentations on starting a literacy program and witnessed a lot of other successful Peace Corps projects in West Africa. The conference was a great success and many interesting development ideas were shared. Once the 2-day conference was over I went with my two friends to a beach house in a peaceful village called Popenguine. We spent the time mingling with a few sculpture artists and ballroom dancing to djembes on the beach with a Senegalese-French restaurant owning couple.

Upon returning to Mali, I had about a week to get back to site and get forgiven for my absence before I took off to meet the family in Kenya for Christmas. Our safarical journey started off in a Jurassic Park-style tour of the multi-green colored rolling hills of Chylu. While there, we saw many animals but I was most impressed with the enchanted fairytastical landscape. While in the hills, we stumbled upon a young and friendly female pilot who took us for a birds-eye view tour of Kilimanjaro. Our next stay was in the Serengeti where we were showered with wildlife. Our first jeep roll consisted of a run in with a cheetah, a mama leopard n cubs, a giant pack of yawning lions, zebras, lover birds, elephants, the whole gang. We wrapped up the trip with a visit to the spice-filled island of Zanzibar. Hakuna matata (no problems) what a wonderful journey.

All my African mamas dancin' with their grains in Farakala

Come January, I’ve found myself getting more and more nervous about taking care of all the loose ends before my quickly approaching departure. The month got off to a great start with our first literacy class graduating (unfortunately there were no women in this class but they’ll be coming very soon!). This good news was followed by a very successful two-day training for literacy teachers, delegates and the newly elected committee, on assuring the sustainability of the program. Committee members were able to do hands-on activities to prepare themselves for their new roles in the community. When that formation was over, we began planning for the literacy teacher’s training in Senoufo, which will take place in February. After this training, classes will be conducted not only in Bambara (the most commonly spoken language in Mali) but also in Senoufo (the most commonly spoken language in this region of Mali).

January formation led by me Sylvain and Mama

Students of teacher Abubocar Sanogo - our first graduated class!

Right now, we’re on a wild goose chase for funding from the government and or NGOs so that the teachers may be reinforced for their hard work in bringing about a more literate Farakala. In addition to seeking outside funding sources, we will be starting an income generating activity within the program called “Literacy Fields”. In this initiative, each village in the commune will set aside land to cultivate and sell crops to get revenue for the center. Students, delegates and teachers will rotate working in the fields.

The building of the center is coming along slowly but surely. We have finally finished the first building and will be starting the director’s office and resource room next week. I have arranged for a group of 25 highschoolers from the International School of Bamako (kids of expats working in Mali) to come do labor on the center for a couple days. Hopefully this will expedite the process and allow us to do the inauguration before I come home for a visit in March!

Rooftop powow

Veranda/ Sitting area at entrance of classrooms

Finished (besides paint) literacy building - unattached office and resource room to be built on the right