Fatumata

Thank you all so much for your comments! It means so much to have any connection to home right now... Keep the updates coming and no Lauren definitely not engaged! Silly Bainbridge. Finally back at Tubaniso (the Peace Corps training center) after ten days of training in village. Just to clarify, I'll still be in training until early September, where hopefully I'll be installed as a volunteer at a more permanent site. I say hopefully because we all have to pass language/other technical tests first before we officially become volunteers.

So a week ago last Thursday, seven other health volunteer trainees and I made our way in a Peace Corps vehicle to a small Malian village about a half hour outside of Bamako. This village of 500 has been my home for what has been some intense language and cultural immersion. Probably 20 or more kids chased our car waving and yelling "Toubabu!" (french/white person) once we arrived. Our host families gathered to welcome us along with all the kids. We greeted the chief and presented him with kola nuts (a prized possession in Mali, especially for the older men). We were then each pulled into the center of a large circle to dance with some of the village women. After this sort of ceremony, each of the trainees left for our respective compounds. I say compound because each home in the village is made up of several square mud houses organized around a courtyard. More than 90% of Mali's population is Muslim, and most men take more than one wife. As far as I can tell, I believe my host family includes two moms, one older brother (chief of the family), a couple teenage girls (at least one of which is a mom) and about a million and one kids. Anyways, so I arrived in my compound knowing maybe 10 words of Bambara. Made for some interesting conversation. One of my host moms pulled out a chair for me to sit in while the rest of the family gathered on mats all around me. So many awkward silences!! Lots of me saying "Mun don." One of the few phrases I knew in Bambara, meaning "what's this."

My family gave me a new name. From here on out, I am "Fatumata Coulibaly." Pretty sure it's the equivalent of like Emily Smith in the US. There are two other Fatumata Coulibalys just in my family. I was named after my host grandmother who I have to individually greet every morning. She blesses me about 10 times, and after each one I'm expected to say "Amiinnaa!!" Most of the time I have no idea when the blessings end and just say Amiinaa until she stops talking. But doni doni (little by little) the language is coming. Also think it's funny my name is Coulibaly, pretty sure that was the last name of that ref who made the bad call in the US World Cup game.

We have language classes all the time!! It's exhausting. There really is no mental break. We leave class to go home and practice speaking with our families. It feels like I still don't know anything but I do think we've all made so much progress considering we've only been speaking Bambara for a week!

Aside from language classes, we've had a few short field trips. We made it to a nearby town to practice our bargaining at a market. Side note. As if remembering how to count in Bambara is difficult enough, they divide every number by 5 when they tell you the price of things in the market/at a store. For example, if garlic costs 250 CFA in the market, they will tell you 50 CFA, which still means you must give them 250. Ahhh!! Math and vocab. We also had a short visit to a community health center, similar to the ones each of us will be working at once we get to our actual site. They do a lot of pre-natal consulations, baby weighing, and general consultations. Sure I'll be able to elaborate more on that later... We did get to see a newborn baby! Definitely a highlight.

Just as some background on the health stuff, Peace Corps has outlined three major objectives for health volunteers in Mali. The first is maternal health and child survival. The second is disease prevention and lastly community development. Excited to learn more about what that means in practice!

Eating meals is definitely one of the most difficult parts of homestay. I never feel clean (with bucket baths - no running water) and in Malian culture you have to eat with your hands. The food bowl is also set on the ground in the middle of the courtyard so I have to fight away chickens, the dog, the cat, and tons of flies with my left hand while I eat with my right. I always eat with the same girl, my 16 year old host sister who has a 9 month old son. Apparently I'm really old to not be married or have children. Most meals are either potato or sweet potato covered in some sort of sauce. I'll get random fish every once and awhile (the head is considered the best part, I do my best to eat around the eyeball) or beef bits. Get pasta sometimes too. It's difficult not to have any control over what I eat and there are no fruit and vegetables! Starting to make sense of why malnutrition is so prevalent.

It's really sad actually, a child died in our village this past week. People say it was probably malaria mixed with malnutrition. The child was laying on a mat just beside us during one of our first days in village! I'm really hoping a child's death is a rare occurence in my village but unfortunately I'm starting to worry it won't be...

Other random things about the village: There are donkeys, lambs, chickens and flies EVERYWHERE!! The donkeys are super noisy. Was outside brushing my teeth the other night, not paying attention, and looked to my right only to see a donkey like 4 feet away. There's no electricity or running water. Makes it a lot easier to go to bed at 9 PM! Think I'll be reading a lot. You have to greet everyone you see! It's usually, "How are you" response "no problems." "How is your family" response "no problems." "How is your teacher" response "no problems" and on and on until they decide to stop (all this in Bambara of course). I'm lucky if I can find someone that speaks French.

Alright, think I need to cut it off for now. Should post more sometime in the next couple of days before it's back to village for another two weeks! Missing you all and thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes!!!

I'm living in a mud hut! Not even joking. This past week is a blur, still an emotional roller coaster. Our first lesson when we arrived was how to go to the bathroom in a hole... This will definitely be roughing it! But in a good way, at least that's what I'm hoping. There are 80 people in my "stage," meaning all the Americans in my training class. We first met in Philadelphia for orientation before making the long trip from JFK to Paris, and Paris to Bamako. We've been pretty sheltered so far at our training center. We all leave our mud huts around 7 am for days full of sessions on how to live and succeed in Mali. Literally spent 2 hours talking about diarrhea, or "Mr. D." Learned how to change a flat tire of a bike. Talked a lot about stereotypes and how we'll be perceived in Malian culture. We've had a few meals together in the traditional Malian way, meaning 5-6 people sitting in a circle on floor mats with a bowl of rice and sauce in the middle. Everyone digs in with their right hand. Laughed at some current volunteers who put on an awesome skit about "malaria" to the tune of Rhianna's song "Disturbia."

We celebrated July 4th together at the American Club in Bamako, a hang out spot for ex-pats. Had a visit from the American Ambassador of Mali today, talking to us about the current state of affairs in Mali and our role in promoting development. Only learned a little about my sector so far (health education) but really looking forward to learning more!! Apparently there's a major focus on child and maternal health in Mali now. Had our first language lesson the other day, I can greet in Bambara! We'll be studying 6 hours a day, 6 days a week....yikes.

Just taking everything one day at a time. Leaving tomorrow for our homestays to continue the language and cultural training. I'll be off the internet for at least two weeks so I wanted to check-in! So there's a snapshot, sorry this is so short but I promise there will be more details coming!

Keep the emails coming, any distractions are definitely appreciated :) Should be able to check-in again in the next two weeks!