Tout Seul

There has been a big change since my last blog post. The two other Peace Corps volunteers in Kenieba both decided to end their service early and return to the US. One of them had already left by the time I got back at the end of June, and the other came down on Fourth of July weekend to pack up his stuff and leave. I became the only American in Kenieba, which is already in an isolated area of Mali (the closest American to me went from being a 10 minute walk to a full day trip away). On top of that, my host family left to spend their summer vacation with relatives in Bamako. For the next few months, I am the only person living in the compound. I used to eat lunch with my host family every day; now I am cooking lunches for myself.

Obviously, I’m not tout seul (all alone), but it felt like that at first. I had to reevaluate my situation… am I crazy to stay here for another year? If it didn’t work out for the other guys, maybe this isn't for me either? Could I keep living here, being the only white person in a town of 12,000 people? Life is certainly hard… after three months of oppressive heat, it is rainy season now and the mosquitoes, crickets and other creepy crawlers have come back to life. As I've mentioned on here many times, public transportation to and from Kenieba is an ordeal.

I had some tough days, but I worked through it, forcing myself to reconnect with friends and work partners. What’s keeping me going is the friendships I’ve developed with Malians. I enjoy hearing their stories and sharing stories of life in the US with them over countless rounds of tea. It's humbling to witness everyday life here, especially the women who work seemingly nonstop to cook meals, do household chores, and earn money for their family during their precious free time.

The work I am involved in will hopefully bring a new source of income to some of the women and give new skills to some of the businesspeople in Kenieba. I feel I am becoming a stronger person, overcoming these challenges and accomplishing the work I came here to do.