A LUNCH IS NOT JUST A LUNCH

A LUNCH IS NOT JUST A LUNCH

After 17 months here in Mali I am stepping back and reflecting on what went on and looking at things beyond my work here. When I first arrived I surrendered to what ever came my way. At the time I thought I was doing it to help me to learn the language to and live here but in reflecting surrendering helped take in the deprivation of the culture that I would be living in for 27 months.

The food is the fist thing we Peace Corps volunteers realize has very little variation. Rice and sauce and rice and sauce for lunch and dinner as for breakfast there’s tea or coffee and French bread. The markets where we end up living don’t offer much variety either. If a volunteer is up north it is even worst, they get tô three times a day everyday. The first year I lost over 26 pounds some from being sick and some from just trying to figure how to eat nutritiously here in Mali. The Malians suu suu all their ingredients so even if there are vegetables in the sauce they have been pulverized and cooked into non recognizable form. When rainy season hit here in Koutiala and everyone went back to their village to farm there was hardly a tomato in town let alone some lettuce. Most of the packages I get from home have some kind of food in them. My food cravings started with a ceasar salad and ended with things I never eat at home like ham sandwichs. Going back to America for a month got back my appetite and some of the weight I lost.

Everyday I surrendered to what ever cames my way. If I was offered African tea I drank it, if I was to watch a sheep being slaughtered I watched it, if I was asked to walk miles around town to greet people I walked miles. I wear skirts that I would never wear back home. All that I could do to keep going everyday was to go along with what other people had in store for me, not my usual way of doing things.

All that I knew was different even my role as a volunteer. Peace Corps Mali handed me a card during training with the expectations of a Peace Corps Volunteer here is what it said

1. Commit for 27 months
2. Share/Learn skills
3. Be flexible expect hardships
4. Build trust integrate
5. You are on duty 24/7
6. Respect and cooperate with Malian partners
7. Work within Malian & US laws and rules of Peace Corps
8. Be responsible, protecting your health and safety
9. Bring Mali back to the US.

This seemed like a tall order and still does most days. On those days that it is too over whelming I just hide out in my house. Over whelming comes when the children yell Toubob boo, toubob boo over and over again where ever I go gets to me, when I can’t remember a word in French or Bambara, Its been months since I did something for myself (this being very American), maneuvering in another culture has exhausted my mind and body, I can’t face cooking tomatoes and onions for another meal and during hot season there is always the heat and the list goes on.

A big splurge was buying a broom with a handle on it. Others are when I have some else do my laundry because the thought of doing them by hand stooped over gives me a back ache just thinking about it, going over to Koro's for a meal and I don't have to cook or do the dishes or go shopping for that matter. Malians are so much better a cooking here then I am.

Recently I went to a photo show in Bamako the 8^th Bamako Encounter with the theme of Boarders this year. The deprivation that came through in the photographs brought tears to my eyes. The show reinforced the deprivation that I feel here in Mali everyday. This deprivation covers all parts of live, food, politics, health you name it Mali and Africa as a whole comes up short. I have tried to keep my blog on a positive note to show my love of Mali and it’s people but I do want to give people a glimpse of the hardships, of the deprivation endured by everyone in Mali. Yet I wouldn’t have missed this experience for the world.