Questions

I've been corresponding with a sixth-grade class in Arcadia as part of the World Wise Schools program of Peace Corps. They recently sent me a bunch of AWESOME letters with some great questions, and I thought other people might be interested in the letters too:

• What is your favorite part of Mali? My favorite part of Mali is the conversations I have with my Malian friends. Malians are incredibly welcoming and love to joke around. You can see on my blog an example of a conversation I had with my host mom about the US space program. Conversations like that where I get to share US culture and joke around with friends are my favorite!
• Would you want to live in Mali permanently? No, but not because I don't like it here. Mali is a great country, I would just prefer to live in America closer to my family and friends for the rest of my career and travel to places like Mali for vacation.
• What do you do in your spare time? Read, read, read, and read some more! I also go around and chat with my neighbors, write lots of letters, and dance crazily around my hut to music from my iPod (I charge my iPod with a solar charger).
• Is Mali fun, or are you praying to come back? I definitely have my good days and bad days, but overall I'm very glad that I came to Mali and am enjoying my time here. I'm very excited to come home for 3 weeks in September though!
• Is there fast food? In terms of McDonalds or Taco Bell, not at all. Malians don't eat out like Americans do. Eating out is actually seen as a bad thing, because it means that you can't feed your family at home. There is street food, though. Women sell food by the side of the road out of huge metal bowls. There is usually macaroni, beans, rice and sauce, fries, and some kind of meat to choose from.
• How many books have you read? A lot! I'm not actually sure, but there is a list on my blog that has all the books I've read so far.
• What kinds of animals are there in Mali? There used to be a lot of wildlife in Mali, like lions, elephants, and antelope. Unfortunately most of that wildlife was killed due to over-hunting and poaching. Today there are two herds of elephants left, and I've heard rumors that you can see a lion or two in western Mali. Other than that, there are a lot of farm animals that Malians raise, like cows, donkeys, sheep, goats, and chickens. There are no pigs because most Malians are Muslim and cannot eat pork.
• What diseases are there in Mali? Quite a few. Someone asked me specifically how I could get sick from amoebas, and I should explain that I was actually sick with amoebic dysentary. You get this disease from drinking unclean water. I'm much healthier now though! In general, diseases caused by poor quality drinking water are common here. Also, malaria, TB, and diseases caused by poor nutrition are big problems.
• What language do you speak? I speak Fulfulde. Fulfulde is spoken throughout West Africa, and is called Pular in Senegal and Fula in Guinea. It has been a challenge to rapidly learn a new language, but I'm very glad that I did. It lets me talk with more people, especially the women in children. It also shows that I'm dedicated to learning about Malian culture and people. And it's a very fun language to speak! There are at least 50 different words for cow, but only one word for to want/to like/to love! I think that says a lot about the Fulfulde culture, don't you? I speak French at the organization I work with because my supervisor there prefers to speak in French.
• Do you get paid? I am a volunteer, but I do get a living allowance from Peace Corps (about $5 a day). This money pays for food, clothing, everything. All my healthcare is covered by Peace Corps.
• How much is $1 in Malian currency? Mali uses the CFA, a currency used throughout West Africa. $1 is equal to about 450 CFA.
• Is the Malian government corrupt? Wow, hard question. I would say that most government officials are not corrupt and have the people's best interest at heart. There are cases of government officials taking money though. For example, 25% of the Malian budget is supposed to go to education. Does it get there? Judging by the poor quality of the public school system, I lean towards no. I think that Mali is one of the better examples of good government in Africa, but it still has its problems.
• What is the weather like in Mali? Right now it is HOT!!! It was 110 degrees yesterday, and it will only get hotter in the next few months. There are four seasons in Mali: rainy season, mini-hot season, cold season, and hot season. In cold season temperatures get down to the 70s. There are huge rain storms during rainy season with thunder, lightening, and a lot of dust that gets blown around. There are also sandstorms and dust storms which take place during hot season - now. Everything I have is currently covered in a nice sheen of orange dust. Rainy season will come in July, followed by mini-hot season in October, cold season in November, and then back to hot season in March.
• Do you have electricity? Like the majority of Malians, I do not have electricity. I use a flashlight at night to see and to read before bed. I've come to enjoy not having electricity though - the view of the stars at night is phenomenal!
• What is your house like? I live in a mud brick house that has 3 rooms. I have an outdoor latrine bathroom (called a nyegen). I have concrete floors, a metal door, and a screen door, and all my windows are screened. All the walls and the ceiling are made from wood logs and mud.
• What do Malians wear? Malians are very conservative people. The women wear long wrap-around skirts called pagnes and a shirt made out of the same fabric. Men wear pants and a collared shirt. Wearing proper dress and looking nice are very important in Malian culture. If you wear dirty or ragged clothing, it is a sign of disrespect to those around you. Malian fabric is awesome! So many fun colors and prints! I have a pair of capris that are neon green and polka-dotted. I love that I can wear them here and be normal.
• Do you have any Malian friends? Yes, I do! My host mom and I have become good friends, and I'm also friends with my homologue. (A homologue is someone assigned to help me to do my work by Peace Corps - usually a Malian living in your village that is motivated to do development work.) I spend a lot of my time hanging out with my host family, and when I'm not with them I'm hanging out with the kids who come to my house to play.
• Are people nice? Yes!!! Incredibly nice!! I think that Malians are among the most welcoming people in the world.
• How poor are people? Do they have a lot of stuff? Mali is the third poorest country in the world, so yes, the people are poor. The majority of Malians don't have access to clean drinking water, electricity, healthcare, a year-round food source, and good education. They do have a small amount of possessions - my host mom has an entire collection of pots and pans that she displays in her house. They wear jewelry and have nice clothes, and will have tea absolutely every day. They don't have a lot of stuff by American standards, but they are getting by.

I hope this let you understand Mali a little better, and if anyone else has other questions about life here, feel free to comment or send me an email!