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.