Site Visit, Part 2 - Kenieba

Kenieba is a town of about 20,000 people in far western Mali, close to the borders of Senegal and Guinea. It is difficult to travel there overland, as the main road from Kayes is all dirt. The trip from Kayes to Kenieba, about 250 km/150 miles, took us almost 7 hours in a Land Cruiser. The road is even worse in rainy season; we had to drive through huge puddles and cross some streams. The drive down is really pretty though... rolling hills, lush vegetation, and escarpments that rise hundreds of feet up and continue all the way to Kenieba. I'm excited to explore the surrounding area on my mountain bike and hike to the top of the escarpments.

The major commercial activity in Kenieba is gold mining, and the biggest mine is owned by a South African company. A large part of the labor force in Kenieba is employed by the gold mine. There is also traditional mining done on the hillsides, and there is a gold rush mentality in town. People are less focused on the subsistence agriculture that dominates the economy in other parts of Mali, because they can earn a lot of money from the gold they find.

So this presents a unique situation for development work in Kenieba, as people can earn money and support their families just from the income from gold. But there is always room for community development, especially in capacity building. A Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) who has been working in Kenieba for two years, Vanessa, hosted us for the few days we were there. She has worked on many projects in Kenieba, including HIV/AIDS education, a tree nursery, chicken raising, and a community garden. I will be moving into her house in September.

Because it takes two full days to travel to Kenieba, we only had a few days at site before we had to turn around and head back to Bamako. I did not have time to meet with the artisans, but I did meet my Malian counterpart and had dinner with his family. He works with metal to make things like tin roofs and doors. We didn't have much time to talk business, but I told him I want to meet with each of the artisan associations in Kenieba when I return in September.

Even though Kenieba is so difficult to get to, there are lots of amenities here. There are 15 hours of electricity each day, strong cell phone service, a big market, a post office, a bank, and lots of shops and street food. There are no Internet cafes in town, but you can get a USB key that gives basic Internet access through the cell phone system here.

Overall, I really like Kenieba and see myself working on many different projects. It is a beautiful region of Mali, and it will be fun to explore the surrounding area. The bad condition of the road and distance from Bamako worries me, but having these amenities and three PCVs close by will make it a lot easier.