It's All Relative!

Me in a new Malian complet!

The title says it all… in the past couple of weeks since I’ve written (Has it been that long?!?  Sorry, friends!) I have truly learned that everything is relative depending on what your basis of comparison may be.  For example, Malians are now beginning to talk regularly about the upcoming cold season.  I have seen men wearing puffy coats in the mornings and mothers who have put knitted caps on the babies they have strapped to their backs.  It is the wind that accompanies the cool air that causes people to get sick, Malians like to tell me as we make small talk in a taxi or while we wait for a meeting to begin.  I have chuckled at these statements and predictions of “chilly” weather and puzzled at the warm clothes people wear when I am still sweating through t-shirts and continuing to “glisten” on a daily basis.  However, the other morning, I woke up early and hopped in the shower to get my day started.  I turned on my cold water (I don’t have a water heater), and the water didn’t feel quite as refreshing as usual.  I actually gasped at the chilliness of the stream and when I got out of the shower and dried off I was truly cold!  That morning, I chose a complet (Malian skirt and top set with matching head wrap) that had sleeves, because I just couldn’t seem to warm up!  Unfortunately, I can’t say the feeling lasted long… that afternoon, sitting in the dark CSCOM examination room holding a baby, sweat ran down my legs and I longed for a fan or some moving air.

My Malian Taxi costume

I had my first “cold” experience in Mali a few days after Halloween when I attended a conference at the Radisson Hotel.  (Side note: Halloween was tons of fun!  I went to two parties dressed as a Malian taxi, and the costume was a hit!  On Saturday night the “after party” went on until the wee-hours and I danced my yellow and black buns off until 4am at a Malian night club!)  I was lucky enough to be invited to a USAID conference on maternal and child survival by my Fulbright liaison at the embassy.  For two days I met and interacted with Malian government officials from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Development, NGO leaders and presidents from CARE, Save the Children, and Groupe Pivot, Malian and American USAID employees, religious leaders, and directors of the Organization of Islamic Councils!  These were truly the big guns! 

The goal of the conference was to announce a new partnership between USAID and the Organization of Islamic Councils (OIC).  I had never heard of the OIC before the conference, but they are an organization of Islamic leaders throughout Africa, Asia, and the Middle East who meet regularly to train leaders and assert political influence from within the Muslim community.  Their commitment to this project will hopefully mean a lot to Islamic leaders here in Mali, and my sense is they bring religious and political influence to compliment the money and man-power of USAID.  We spend almost all of the first conference day in small groups brainstorming about the principal causes of maternal and infant deaths in Mali, possible resolutions for those problems, and eventually specific activities that could be conducted and groups that might be engaged to solve these problems within 6-18 months!  Talk about a seriously difficult activity!  I felt like I was back at Kenyon in a Van Holde seminar… “Here is a hugely complicated social, cultural, economic, political issue.  Describe the causes of the problem, prioritize their importance, and propose some concrete solutions.  You have 10 minutes, ok- go!”

The conference was quite interesting and I met some really kind people who I believe will prove to be valuable contacts during the course of my project and exploration of maternal and child health in Mali.  It was additionally an interesting look into the way that USAID supports projects and involves local officials in their brainstorming/planning efforts.  I also got delicious free lunch from the Radisson and free pens!  The only down side was… it was cold in that hotel!  I guess I am just not used to A/C anymore, and my fellow Malian conference participants laughed at me as I wrapped my scarf around my shoulders and rubbed my arms to get warm.

My sweet new ride!

That same week, I spent some really wonderful time with several expatriates who are becoming my new friends!! J  I enjoyed lunch with a fellow researcher, Bodil, drinks with a friend from my first trip, Zak, shared another delicious dinner at my friend Jennifer’s house and had another fun and carefree night of dancing at Ibiza.  This week saw several highlights (and a few low-lights).  On Tuesday, I went to meet with some directors at CARE Mali.  They are an international organization who has partnered with USAID to create a very large community health worker program in Mali.  I got a lot of useful literature from their office and got the chance to really think critically about the format of the Banankoro program I’m working with.  Plus, my new friend, Liz, is working at CARE as part of her practicum for a Master’s in Public Health at Tulane, so I got to see her and we spent some time talking “work.”  Then, I went with her to soccer practice with a women’s club team in Mali!  It was so so fun to play soccer, and I was really pleasantly exhausted as I showered off the layers of dust and dirt I accumulated on the field.  I actually said to myself aloud that night, “This has been a good day.”

The fur accessories and the stuffed tiger were included...
what a deal!

Another highlight of the week that many of you have heard about… I bought a car!  Crazy, I know, but I have been looking for a while and found something I consider to be a good deal and a great little car.  I spent a couple afternoons driving with Malian co-pilots and I am comfortable enough to drive to and from my research site outside of town, as well as to a friend’s neighborhood a little way down the main road.  This weekend or early next week I am still hoping to tackle a little more intense traffic and even to cross one of the 2 bridges that separate the city in two!  One of the low points included an afternoon of unsuccessful trips to about 6 different ATMs and the subsequent seizure of my card three times by one of the machines!  I was down to about $10 to my name and I was stressed out a bit until the next morning when I made it to the embassy to get money.  Similarly frustrated sentiments accompanied a trip to the tailor to pick up an outfit I had ordered for the upcoming holiday of Tabaski… the skirt was so long I could have worn it as a strapless dress and the top was so tight that I couldn’t get it over my head!    I managed to get over my frustrations with the help of some friends, deep breathing and positive thinking.  Really, I’ve had a couple of enjoyable weeks and I just have to remember to put things in perspective sometimes because really, it’s all relative!