Blogs from Bamako, District of Bamako, Mali, Africa - page 5

I was finally able to upload a few url=http://www2.snapfish.com/shareereg/p=750251172440665443/l=229527612/g=88920323/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB/pns/share/p=750251172440665443/l=229527612/g=88920323/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALBphotos ! Sadly I did not take enough of my village (pulling out a camera draws way too much attention, and I thought I'd have lots of time) But enjoy what's there and let me know if you have trouble viewing them. ... read more

So after waiting a painfully long time, I am very happy to have three transfer options! They are teaching positions in Burkina the Gambia in West Africa and in Lesotho in South Africa. I have very little time to make a decision and not much specific information about the assignments. So I did my best to research each place and to talk to people who had served there. Here are some of the details on each. (Info courtesy of the BBC, UNAIDS, fgmnetwork.org, my friends, and my friends’ friends.) Burkina Faso: Full name: Burkina Faso Population: 12.8 million (via UN, 2006) Capital: Ouagadougou Area: 274,200 sq km (105,870 sq miles) Language: French (official), 50 Sudanic languages (90%) Religion: animist 40%, Sunni Muslim 50%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10% Life expectancy: 47 years (men), 48 years (women) ... read more

For the last few days we’ve been staying at the Tubaniso Training Center, outside of Bamako. PC Mali has done a great job taking care of us. A banner at the entrance to the compound reads “Welome Peace Corps Guinea” and we’re being treated as if we’re on a paid vacation. We’re staying in mud huts, but they’re rigged up with lights and ceiling fans, making them very comfortable. A kitchen staff works all day to prepare great meals for us. They’ve set up a store where we can get basic supplies and cold sodas. If you need anything they don’t have, the shopkeeper will run into town and get it for you. There is a small library, a few computers, basketball, volleyball, soccer, and mountain biking. The PC bus is acting as a shuttle ... read more

Well I'm guessing this will be the last update before Christmas. I can't belive it's less than a week away. Here I am in the heat and the sun, with the bustling market stalls piled high with watermelons, and suddenly we see a man selling inflatable santas! It's the first festive sign I've seen in Africa, a far cry from Southampton shops playing jingle bells and the lights going up in October! I guess it's just another indication that we've moved south, crossed the border into Mali and left the influence of the Arab north increasingly behind us. The change is unbelievable, and I'm already loving the look of Mali. Everyone is unbelievably friendly, waving and calling out bonjour as we pass through scattered villages of round mud huts. All the stereotyped images of Africa are ... read more

Heya everyone! Sorry I've been so long between blogs lately. Bamako has tired me right out and I haven't made the time to blog. Shame on me. Anyway, there's lots to tell so get comfy and read all about it! So after my arrival in Bamako last Saturday I got to do a little tourism with my faithful driver, Yacouba, and explore a bit of Bamako and the surrounding hills. I think I've mentioned before how much I love the scenery here, but the pics say it all. On Monday I started my course on promotion of hygiene and sanitation in local communities and it has been going super. The facilitators leading the course have so much expertise and energy, and the group is fantastic too. Very funny and relaxed people who also really enjoy what ... read more