Scandals with subtitles

So I found a language tutor. The secretary general of Dombila, who actually commutes from Kati, speaks fluent English. And though not a villager of Dombila, he has actually been able to explain to me a lot of what goes on underneath the surface here that I would have otherwise glazed over.

Scandal 1: Where are the teachers?

After pushing past the hesitancy of the school director, I finally got him to allow me to come to school one morning and observe. School just started about 2 weeks ago, so during the day the village is swarming with kids- some who have walked as far as 10 or 12 kilometers from neighboring villages. Why was the director so hesitant about me coming?

I arrived early in his office to witness his headache, stacks of paper on his desk, and motivational quotes written in neat French cursive on old construction paper taped to the walls. After asking him plenty of prepared questions, which I couldn't understand the answers too, he took me class by class so as to introduce me to the students. After all, what better place to do health education than a school?

We started at the highest level- the 9th grade, which consisted of your average adolescents and some in their mid-20s who just haven't passed yet. The director is firm with them, demanding they pay me respect, and scolding kids for coming in late. As we descend to the youngest, his voice becomes sweeter- She is from a land far, far away, over the ocean, almost like it was the land of oz. And the kids stare and giggle.

I notice many things about the school- the bareness of the walls, the lack of equiptment and space... what you would expect I suppose. But the one thing I couldn't figure out is- where are the teachers?

No teachers, anywhere. I ask again and again. Something about they are coming later, we have to listen to the radio, the want their salary, and it wasn't until my English speaking friend showed up to my rescue to let me know what was really going on. There has been a country wide teachers strike due to the fact that the govenment is late on paying their salaries. The kids have been coming to school all week, only to be sent home, day after day. When I finally heard that the strike was over, I noticed the next day, the teachers still didn't come. I asked Shaka, my other main source of information, what was going on. "The teachers are all in Bamako, marching the streets and yelling." For real? God, I have no clue. But all I know is I hate to see those kids who have already walked for an hour being turned away with their little lunch pails of To. Well, maybe they can have some fresh To today, and hopefully by the time I get back, they'll be someone to teach them.

Scandal 2:

Well I knew that someone stole money from the maternity. I knew Irene was extreamly upset about it. I knew there were many meetings about this, but I didn't know I almost lost my homolouge.

My subtitle-man explained to me that the chef de poste and the mayor's office were demanding that Irene reimburse the money out of her own pocket. Her salary and the cigarettes she sells out of her house (yes, attached to the health center) is not so much that she can do this. Not only that, it was completely not her fault, and if they did not change the ruling, she would stop working. Not only would I have lost my homolouge, but I would have been stuck in a village with no teachers and no midwife. After some very loud and expressive meetings, it was decided that it was no fault of her own, and she was not oblidged to pay back the stolen money. Thank God for that.

This, by the way, was all over the equivalent of $25.