I ni wula! (Good afternoon in Bambara) Where to start!? My first week in Mali has been fantastic!

The heat! It’s their winter…and its about 35C on average per day. It’s due to get hotter between now and April…I needn’t say more! Unfortunately we can’t walk around in shorts and bikinis which is what I’d usually do in this heat – that and sit by a pool with a cocktail! Covering up is a must – showing excess skin would be frowned upon and make us stick out even more than we do already!

I’ve been so lucky with my team – everyone is so enthusiastic and positive about working hard! On arrival here in Mali – the staff at International Service have bent over backwards to make us feel welcome which has really helped with the settling in! The Malian people have shocked me in how friendly they are! We already have our first wedding invite from a random woman we met once on a visit to an organisation. We are all going to get some traditional African dress made for us – we just need to pick some crazy material from the market tomorrow!

Our first week has included a lot of induction to the local language (Bambara), culture, IS Mali, the partners and a lot of project planning which has been really fun! One key thing that has been drilled into us is that, in Malian culture when you start a conversation with someone you MUST have a long extended ‘how are you and your mum, dad, kids, house, country, family life etc etc…’ Then half way through your conversation it is best to repeat this again so as not to be rude! This could party explain ‘Africa time’ by which I mean the relax, chilled no rush culture!

We are all making a big effort to learn French too – My GCSE French has actually worked wonders but I do keep accidently speaking bits of Spanish!

One problem we have come across is getting ripped off initially! I do think the man in the local corner shop will soon be buying a few Rolexes with the increased business we are providing for him! Bargaining and bartering is a skill that has come in handy! It seems there is a market for everything here and home comforts such as cereal found in Bamako’s ONE supermarket are all imported which explains the £8 for fruit and fibre! 20p per mango will keep me happy though!

The accommodation is surprisingly good – no mud huts! We are staying in the building which also houses the International Service Mali offices! We have an amazing roof terrace upstairs too which has been a great place for work and for countless games of articulate!

Bamako to me, is strange. There are areas that look fairly developed with government buildings and hotels and roads and then other areas that are red dusty dirt tracks and shacks. This dusty landscape has meant that we all have permanently black feet! I have fallen in love with the neighbours kids and have already distributed my supply of bubbles I brought with me!

The women here fascinate me! Every other woman is carrying a baby on her back in a sling and a bucket of stuff on her head! Their balancing skills are incredible! These buckets contain anything from Bananas to building materials and look so heavy! Another interesting fact is Polygamy is practised here!

We went to visit the blind school that we will be working in and it was great to finally see it and meet the people who run it and some of the students! Just from seeing the site we have had so many ideas about how we could help them. For example we want to build a playground and help them sell the chalk that is made at the school by the blind people who are involved in the association.

In conclusion – a Fab start to a Fab Country!

Next door neighbour!

Men carry the lighter objects - towels

Balancing act

Need to practice..

Playtime

Coconut wheel-barrows

Our Street

The corner shop

The Team!

The Build Up

Its now about 3 weeks until I go to Mali and I hadn't thought much about it until I went on my training weekend last week in York with International Citizen Service. The training got everyone who is going on placement really excited. I met some fantastic people who are going to loads of different countries with various companies but it is all under international citizen Service. They gave us advice, warnings and extensive training about the world of international development. But one of the things they pushed was getting the word out there about what we as volunteers will be doing. They want us to all record our placements using any means possible not just as an advertising tool but to also spread awareness of the work that development organisations are doing. So amongst other things I have set up this blog and would love for you or anyone to follow from time to time! It may be difficult to access internet on a regular basis in Mali - I can be certain that it will be dial up! (remember the noise it used to make!) BUT I will try to update as much as possible with photos and videos. My team is also in the process of making a Facebook page for the project we will be working on in Mali.

Firstly i thought I should explain a bit about who ICS because its quite confusing. International Citizen Service (ICS) is a global volunteering experience which supports young people from all backgrounds to make a real difference to some of the world’s poorest people. This new initiative, launched by the Prime Minister and funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), will give thousands of youngsters across the UK the chance to join in the fight against global poverty. Various development charities work with ICS to offer 3 month placements in the countries in which they work eg VSO, restless development and International Service. I am going to Mali with International Service. From what I have seen of International Service so far, they are a fantastic Charity and I can't wait to work for them! Have a look at their website to see some of the work they do and where they do it!

http://www.internationalservice.org.uk/

At training, they gave us a country briefing and some of the info was shocking!

Mali is the 5th poorest country in the world. Over 90% of Malians live on less than $2 a day. The country is heavily dependant on foreign aid, and its economy is vulnerable to fluctuations in world prices for cotton and gold which are its main exports. They warned us that the temperature will be between 45-48degrees Celsius! I am going to be living in an apartment with some others from my team and we have a guard for the house who apparently carries a machete! This is meant to be the norm.

Currently, a lot of Mali is in the Red Zone, a term labelled by the foreign and commonwealth office which basically means out of bounds for tourists. The north of Mali has always been an issue - there is a group of terrorists working but this is mainly a desert landscape. However, the red zone has been extended due to recent kidnappings. So travel within country is restricted.

We were given limited information on the projects and day to day work we will be doing whilst in country. All I know as of now is the projects I will be working on are to promote Human rights in particular those of woman, children and people with disabilities. I will be based in the capital city, Bamako. 

I have been writing to companies and doing bag packing in supermarkets to try and raise money for the projects I am working on - feel free to visit my Just Giving website aswell!

http://www.justgiving.com/FELICITY-NEWMAN

Over and Out