Tuesday, Nov 16, 2010
Unfortunately we'll spend another Christmas away from friends and family in America, but we will be here in Mali, making new friendships and enjoying the culture and experience of living in West Africa.
We love West Africa - the food, the friendliness, the greetings (How are you, how is your family, how is your house, how is your work, how is the heat... and so on). But, we would be lying if we didn't say that , for many local citizens and friends, the realities of living in Africa can be harsh and trying. It is difficult for us, sometimes, to answer questions about "what we do here". Even more uncomfortable is coming up with an appropriate reply when someone says, "You are so amazing for the work that you do over there!" or, more uncomfortable yet, "What generous/kind/wonderful people you are!" Gulp.
Personally, I am sometimes challenged by the notion that I am here in Africa for selfish reasons. In comparison to our Peace Corps days, where most days in village was spent concocting plans for "development projects", however small, our days in Bamako are mostly filled with lesson planning, child-rearing, socializing, and relaxing. Not exactly "changing the world!"
... Okay I know that doing these things matters a lot ... but let me go on ....
I'd like to start working with a friend, Tama Walley, to create and teach recycled crafts to a women's group in Bamako. She already has gotten fed up with "not helping", and has started a wonderful charitable organization in a neighborhood in Bamako. Instruments4Africa helps create pride in young Malian women by encouraging them to learn and enjoy their own music and dance, and helps create a future by enrolling them in school.
Tama and her husband Paul, a fellow teacher at AISB, started this organization a few years ago. It is a grass-roots operation, with all the money that is donated going directly to support the girls in the program. If you ever have wanted to give, but didn't know if your money would go to the right place, this is your chance to know for certain that you made a difference. This year, we will do some of our charitable giving to Instruments4Africa. They would like to earn money to:
- Pay for the third trimester of school for all the girls in the program
- Save up for Malaria medicines to have on reserve
- Be able to fund new and exciting educational opportunities and projects (like a bead making project???)
In any case, wish me luck as I try to find a way that I can "help more" in our community here in Bamako. People ask us often what they can "do to help", and this post is in response to those folks and for everyone else's information, too. Thanks to everyone who is reading and following our blog, and thanks deeply to anyone who feels a desire to contribute to a few girls' education.
Love,
Calley
2 thrilling comments that made our day:
Nice project that your friend has going! And here's the requested "good luck" from one person who is also trying to figure out what helping means & how to do it right. I'm w/ you sister.
Hi Calley. Thanks you for clarifying what expat life can really be like. I often get the same sort of response and mostly don't bother to explain as yes it can be hard living away from home esp. in Africa but really........
Great job on finding a deeper meaning of connecting to where to live, just remember it is okay that you are busy with your own life and that you are making a difference, just not in the way that most people would think ;)
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