my host sister Sama, 15 months
Since I’ve been back from Segou, things have been going great. I’m keeping myself really busy, maybe a little too busy considering the pending hindrance of climbing temperatures. There’s also a bad cold going around that I have fallen victim to, and it’s wiped me out a bit. But aside from the occasional damper of exhaustion, I’m really enjoying myself here in Dombila. We are just beginning construction on our water and sanitation projects, I’m teaching a health curriculum to seventh and eighth graders, watching more and more babies get fat, planning an International Women’s Day Celebration with my closest lady friends of Dombila, and still running around all the time- with Shaka or the school kids in gym class. Mainly, I’m just proud of my village. Sure there are still annoying people who ask me to give them money, my stuff, or a ticket to America multiple times a day. Sure there are still plenty of moments that I feel like an outsider, and am nostalgic for the normal life I glimpsed just over a month ago. But those moments of progress and understanding are more and more frequent. The Water and Sanitation Committee decided on and planed a behavior change and sensitization component of the well project without my prompting- a nice change from our usual lamentations on money and who’s well will get fixed first. A group of women are coming together to promote women’s rights on March 8, even though there is no money backing this event. Our star community health workers visit the CSCOM more and more regularly to check up on malnutrition records. One even told me, “Aminata, I’m watching these babies in my village all the time- I think malnutrition is done here.” That might be wishful thinking but at least its positive thinking.
A lot of this is due to the time of year. The hot season is not in full swing, but the harvest is over. People have more free time and energy for community development. People are generally of good health too, and I’m sure when the rainy season comes again, that one village will indeed be seeing children losing weight because of malaria and diareal diseases. People motivated for health projects now will not find the time to come to meetings as they are planting grain all the time. But for now, things are good. It’s rather fun.
1 comment:
Em,
Great pictures. The water festival looks like a blast. It further proves the point that if you play guitar you can get yourself in a band anywhere even in Mali. (It looks like the guy on stage in the white turban is playing a flamenco style guitar that struck me as funny for some reason). Your last post was uplifting to read. It seems a long way from some of the previous frustration. I would love to hear more on your thoughts about the importance of your work over time. It looks like a lot of the work you have done is coming together for some real noticeable and important change. Keep up the good work.
-T
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