Shea Butter Formation

I was very busy during the last few weeks in Kenieba, preparing for, organizing and running a shea butter formation for thirty-six women that took place on May 12, 13 and 14. (Quick French lesson… training = formation, female trainer = formatrice). My funding proposal was approved in mid-April and the money arrived in my account soon after. When I returned to Kenieba at the beginning of May, I met with the women’s association who worked with me to host the formation. There was still a lot of work to do, from buying the materials that were needed at the training, to planning food and drink needs, and making sure the women would contribute some of the necessary supplies. When I mentioned to my friends around town that I was holding this formation, they suggested that I invite women from rural villages to come. That was logical because the shea trees (where shea nuts come from to turn into shea butter) are all out in rural areas, and women in Kenieba will not be as interested in making shea butter because they have other things to do in a big town. So I handwrote four invitations that were delivered to four villages around Kenieba.

All of the preparations seemed to be going smoothly, as the funds had arrived in my account 10 days before the formation was scheduled to begin and the women who were helping me prepare completed the things I had asked them to do. I should have been more suspicious when everything was going so well, because two days before the trainer was scheduled to leave Bamako to come here, I received a call that the formatrice would not be coming out to Kenieba for the formation. She needed to fill in for another trainer at a shea butter formation near Bamako. I was shocked to hear that only four days before the training was to begin, I wouldn’t have a trainer to run the training! A miscommunication resulted in the formatrice thinking that the dates of my training had not been set, so she thought she could hold the training a few weeks later. I had already bought most of the supplies and sent out invitations to four villages, and booked a flight to Europe the last week in May, so postponing the formation by a few weeks was out of the question.

After a stressful 24 hours of trying to decide if I should cancel the training, hold a “conference” where the women could at least come together and discuss their experiences with shea butter, or maybe try to run a basic training myself, I received a call that someone could still come out to Kenieba to hold the training, but the formation had to be pushed back by a few days to accommodate her. Though I was relieved that the training was going to happen, I frantically tried to get the message about the changed dates out to the women in the rural villages, hoping they wouldn’t have to sit around doing nothing for two days! In the end, four of the women did come early, but they didn't mind sitting around. I'm sure it was a nice break from their usual hard work at home.

Anyway, the formation went really well, much better than I expected. All of the sixteen women that I invited from rural villages made it. Unlike practically every meeting in Mali, the shea butter training started on time every day. Even on the first day, the mayor showed up at 8 AM, and gave some opening remarks. The women dressed up in their nicest clothes, and I was happy to see that they took this training seriously. I also donned some nice Malian shirts that a tailor friend made for me.

Some of the women were literate and could speak some French, but most of the women could only speak Bambara, and most couldn’t read or write. Each day, the trainer had all of the women sign in using their fingerprint. The training was held in Bambara, so I couldn’t understand everything that the trainer was explaining, but I could catch some words here or there. Sometimes I would ask the formatrice what she had gone over. But it was obviously more important that the women could understand the formatrice and learn from her.

The women respected the formatrice and listened intently to what she had to say. She split them up into two groups and had them write down the ways that they traditionally make shea butter. After comparing the groups’ steps, the formatrice explained that to make high quality shea butter that can be sold to bigger markets (and sold for more money), they need to make shea butter a different way. She wrote down the steps, explained them numerous times, and even had the women repeat the steps to make sure they remembered and understood them. She would call on someone and ask her to recite the whole process of making shea butter. I could tell some of the women were nervous about doing that. It was like being called out in class and the teacher asking you to recite something you just learned… not easy! Also, if she caught any of the women falling asleep, she would call on them and ask what she had just said, basically embarrassing them! There were men who came to observe the formation, and when some of them were falling asleep, she even asked them to leave! That’s not typical here either, a woman telling a man to do something. But the formatrice had some status as she was a professional trainer who came all the way from Bamako.

As the formation continued into the second and third day, I noticed that the women from both Kenieba and from the rural villages were really interested in this new process for making shea butter, and seemed motivated to actually use it in the next cultivating season. It inspired me to help them during the rest of my time here. If they become well organized and take the proper steps to form a cooperative, they could sell large quantities of pure shea butter to buyers in big markets, and generate income for themselves. Although there is a long way to go between the end of this training and the first sale of shea butter to an exporter, I think the women have the potential to make a lot of money doing this, if they are really motivated and interested in doing it. I’d like to help them form a cooperative, get each women’s association the supplies they need to make good shea butter, and help them find initial buyers.

It was great to see these women so interested in a new way to bring in money for their families. I plan to gather all of the women’s association presidents together when I am back in June so we can discuss the next steps. If they are still motivated, and want to put the hard work in to creating this high quality shea butter, I want to work to help these women improve their lives and find a new source of income, other than subsistence farming and dangerous gold mining. Forming and developing this women’s shea butter cooperative will likely become my primary project for the rest of my time here, and I’m excited to help them get started.

This One's For Future Mali PCVs

It’s hard to believe that this time last year, I had just arrived back east from an awesome ski season in Park City, Utah, and received my invitation to join the Peace Corps in Mali that summer. One of the first things I did after receiving my invitation was discover the Peace Corps Journals web site. It is a cool insight into the lives of Peace Corps Volunteers already serving in Mali. I really enjoyed reading those blogs, realizing that I would be going through some of the same experiences. When I arrived at training in Mali in July, getting to meet those PCVs was like meeting celebrities! One of the reasons why I decided to start this blog and make it publicly accessible was to pay it forward: give Peace Corps Mali invitees the insight into my Peace Corps experience so far.

One of my biggest concerns in preparing to leave for Mali was how to stuff the next two years of my life into 80 pounds of luggage. Believe me, it isn’t easy, but an important thing to understand is that you can get pretty much everything you need here (some toiletries and electronics are the big exception), and you will adapt to a simpler lifestyle and get used to not having all the luxuries of home. Here is a list of things I brought that I couldn’t live without. It’s definitely not a complete list, and it’s in no particular order, but I hope it can help you decide what to bring:

• Deodorant – you can only get spray deodorant here, not sticks, so bring a few and plan to have some sent over in the future
• Exofficio underwear – Their slogan “17 countries. 6 weeks. And 1 pair of underwear” is completely true. Though I didn’t bring one pair of underwear, the few pairs I brought have been so nice to wear and really easy to clean. They are still in great shape 10 months in, and they are really comfortable. The best part is that Peace Corps invitees and volunteers get a big discount on Exofficio clothing directly from the company. Check out the Volunteer Discounts page on the Peace Corps Wiki for more information.
• Power adapters, but not Power converters. Adapters are the little things that change the shape of a plug from American to European. Converters are big boxes that convert electricity from 220 to 120 volts. One person’s converter caught on fire in the Paris airport before we even got to Mali. Be sure to check the electric things you are bringing though to make sure they work with 220 volt power (one notable exception is hair clippers, bring a converter if you're bringing those), but any digital camera, laptop, and iPod charger will work here with just an adapter and without a power converter.
• REI Bug Hut… I didn’t use it at first since it was rainy season when we arrived, but now that it’s hot and dry season I have been sleeping in mine each night for the past two months. It’s nice to have an easy to set up, durable, and portable mosquito net tent. They are kind of expensive though… some will be available here from PCVs that have finished their service and are looking to get rid of their stuff.
• Pillow from home – This was one of the best things I brought with me, a nice down pillow. Get one of those Eagle Creek vacuum pack bags that sucks all the air out, and it will be easy to pack the pillow. Eagle Creek sells vacuum pack bags and other packing supplies, and you can get a discount from them too (see Peace Corps Wiki).
• Hostel sheet – this is basically a regular bedsheet stitched together to make a lightweight sleeping bag. I’ve used this so many times, especially during the first two months when you’re travelling all the time between homestay and the training center.
• A roll of duct tape – always comes in handy
• Carabineer – cheap and you'll find a use for one here, I use mine to carry my Nalgene on my backpack
• Headlamp, with extra batteries for it (especially if they’re AAA)
• Nalgene bottle – don’t leave home without at least one of these
• Fly swatter – people gave me a hard time about bringing one but personally, I like having something at quick reach to kill annoying insects. And it doesn’t take up any room in your bag.
• Decent towel – I brought a big quick-drying travel towel that works great. It’s also hard to find a good towel here.
• A good knife – not necessarily a leatherman, but a basic pocket knife would be helpful. In terms of kitchen supplies, bring a good kitchen knife too. You can get everything else here, and once you’re installed at your site, you either get to inherit the previous PCV’s kitchen tools (which I was fortunate enough to do), or buy what you can in the Malian market and have other little stuff sent over
• Keen or Chaco open toe sandals –you will wear them all the time here. See Peace Corps Wiki for discount.
• iPod, with some basic speakers – If you have an iPod, you would be crazy not to bring it with you to Mali. Mine has held up against all the elements (dust, dirt, heat, curious Malians) pretty well so far, and it is invaluable for all those long trips to and from my site. I was so happy I brought my iPod Touch with me, not only for the music but also for a quick way to check my e-mail when there is Wifi (like at the Peace Corps training center and regional houses), and also for all the cool games and other apps. It’s pretty cool that I can download the entire day’s issue of the New York Times and read it on my way back to site.
• Laptop – this is a tough one, because you can definitely do without one here. I was really happy I brought mine. I am fortunate to be in a site with 12 hours of electricity each day, so I can use my laptop at site. But even if you end up in a site that doesn’t have electricity, you can leave your laptop locked up in your closest Peace Corps regional house, and use it for accessing the Internet, syncing your iPod, and getting work done. Most of the Peace Corps houses in Mali have wireless Internet access. And having your own laptop makes getting your activity reports and project proposals done here a ton easier. I wouldn’t go out and buy a new expensive laptop, because it will be ruined in the dust and the heat, but if you already have one, I’d recommend bringing it. Definitely bring some sort of a case or bag that will protect your laptop from the dust when you’re not using it.

I would be happy to answer any questions you have about getting ready to leave, life in Mali, etc. My e-mail address is wbudd3@gmail.com. Unfortunately I only have access to the Internet once a month, but I will respond when I’m back online. Good luck packing, enjoy the rest of your time in the US, and eat lots of cheese, ice cream, and other favorite foods!

Surviving the Hot Season, One Mango at a Time

The hot season is in full force here in Mali, meaning the temperature reaches at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit every day. A friend of mine explained the weather here perfectly: it literally feels like you’re in a blow dryer. It's really hot, dry air. It is still cooling off at night, at least, so I am able to sleep comfortably in my bug hut (mosquito net tent) on the patio outside my house. Since the days are getting longer, I have been waking up earlier. It's nice to be up early though, so I can take advantage of the cooler weather in the morning before it gets uncomfortably hot!

I changed my daily routine a bit to avoid being out in the heat of the day. After breakfast, I ride my bike to the center of town, chat with various artisans, shop for produce in the market and run any other errands I might have to do. Then I head home in the late morning, take a bucket bath to cool off, and wait for my host family to call me over for lunch. After lunch, we all sit under their big tree and socialize while we make some tea. They showed me how to brew tea so I've been the tea maker recently. It is a long process of steeping the leaves, adding the right amount of sugar (though everyone has a different opinion on how much to add), and serving in little tea glasses. There are three rounds of tea, and each successive round is sweeter and not as strong. It is a pastime for Malians to brew and drink tea, often a few times a day. After lunch and tea, I spend the rest of the afternoon in my hammock, reading and taking a nap, and waiting for the sun to start setting. Then I'll take another bucket bath, and enjoy the breeze from my floor fan when the electricity kicks on at around 5 PM. The hot season has been difficult, but not unbearable. I have found ways to stay cool and keep myself distracted from thinking about the heat too much.

One positive thing about hot season is that it is also mango season. Literally millions of mangoes are ripening all over Mali, and everyone is enjoying the mango harvest. I have been invited to pick mangoes with my friends in Kenieba. It is a fun time, picking the low hanging fruits and trying to pick the mangoes high up in the trees. Each time I've come home with a ton of mangoes that I share with my host family. They are so sweet and juicy... I'm eating 2 or 3 mangoes a day. I'm a happy PCV :)

I have been planning a big project the past few weeks, a shea butter and soap training for 30 women in Kenieba the second week in May. My sitemate Jim and I submitted a proposal to Peace Corps, to pay for a trainer to come from Bamako and teach the women how to produce high quality shea butter, and also teach them how to make soap using shea butter and other locally available ingredients. Mali is one of the only countries in the world where shea trees grow, and shea butter is in high demand in cosmetic products all over the world. Unfortunately Mali has a reputation for making bad quality shea butter in the past, but one of the Peace Corps' big initiatives in Mali is to change that reputation and empower women with income generating activities, or IGAs. Once the international road is finished next year, the women in Kenieba will have the opportunity to sell their good quality shea butter to buyers in Bamako and Dakar. I have been planning this training for a while now, meeting with the women, searching for prices for the various supplies and materials and organizing the logistics for the trainer's trip out to Kenieba. There is still a lot of work to do, but hopefully the funding will come in time and it will all go well.

After the training, I am headed to France to visit friends, and then meeting my family in Switzerland. I am looking forward to a few weeks in the developed world, out of the extreme heat, and can’t wait for the adventures to come! The rainy season normally starts at the end of May, cooling things off and making the countryside green again. So by the time I am back from Europe in June, it should be more comfortable again in Mali!

Senegal Trip

Sorry for the long gap between blog posts... I have actually been busy, meeting with artisans, attending a regional training in Kayes, and working on a funding proposal, amongst other things. More on that later, but first, my awesome trip to Senegal in February:

Last month, a big group of Peace Corps Volunteers from Mali took a 24 hour bus trip to Dakar, Senegal, to participate in the West African Invitational Softball Tournament, or WAIST. There were a lot of teams participating, including US Embassy workers, missionaries, high school students, and even a Senegalese team. They were in the "competitive" league; the Peace Corps teams from Senegal, The Gambia and Mali participated in the "social" league. We had a really fun time playing our games. I actually played pretty well, got a hit each time I was up, but my fielding was sub-par. It was fun to play softball with other Americans and feel "at home" again, if only for a weekend!

Dakar is a beautiful city, set on a peninsula right on the Atlantic coast. After being in Mali for 7 months, I felt like I was in a European city. Dakar is so much different from Bamako, the capital of Mali. It is much more developed and there is a lot more investment going into the infrastructure. In Bamako you're often walking down a road with open sewers, domesticated animals (like goats and sheep) roaming the streets, and no sidewalks! The neighborhood where we stayed in Dakar was the exact opposite, and it was right on the ocean, a nice bonus!

We also ate really well in Dakar. Not only were the concessions during the games good (hot dogs and pulled pork sandwiches!), but the dinners were out of this world (at least my world in Mali): steak with Roquefort sauce, thai food and tapas. It was so much better than rice and sauce! Not to mention the ice cream from N'Ice Cream in downtown Dakar, some of the best I've ever had. The three scoops of Strawberry Tiramisu, Ferrerro Rocher, and Passion Fruit ice cream were AMAZING. I happily took on the challenge of eating all of this ice cream in one sitting!

After the weekend of softball and fine dining in Dakar, some of us headed down the coast to a little beach town called Toubab Dialaw. We stayed at a cool hotel right on a cliff overlooking the ocean. I was lucky enough to be in the first cab to arrive at the hotel, and got to stay in a fun little house that opened up right on to the ocean. Check out the photos:

It was so nice to spend a few days here, relaxing on the beach, reading some books, hanging out with friends and enjoying the great weather. One morning we walked up the beach to a fishing community and helped the men pull in their catch. They dropped a huge net about 1000 feet into the ocean. They were happy to get our help pulling it in; it was a lot of work! It was fun to see what we caught... lots of sea snakes, an octopus, and a bunch of little fish and jellyfish were in the net. We also ate well in Toubab Dialaw; there was a great little creperie down the beach, and we got some delicious snacks at a little grocery store, like gruyere cheese with sausage and bread, green olives, and BBQ Pringles.

After our stint on the beach, I split off from my friends who headed back to Mali, and continued to the Kedougou region of Senegal to visit a friend of mine from high school who is a Peace Corps Volunteer there. He's the same friend who came to visit me in Kenieba in January. It was a great visit; we spent a night in his thatched hut and hiked out to a 300 foot tall waterfall. He has a huge host family of 20 people, most of whom are little kids. There's rarely a dull moment around his house! It was neat to visit a Peace Corps Volunteer working in a rural village, too. It is such a different environment than the one I am working in, a town of 15,000 people with cell phone service, electricity, and running water. I'm living in a six room concrete house with a tin roof and wooden ceilings. My friend's house is literally a one room hut, about 8 feet in diameter. He has to fetch his water from a well a few minutes away from his house. There's no electricity at night, just solar panels to charge his cell phone battery, and lanterns and head lamps to use at night. He does have cell phone service, but there are not many places left in the world that are out of range!

I also got to spend a couple days at the Peace Corps house in Kedougou, the regional capital, before going back to Kenieba. I got to meet the volunteers there and check out some of their projects. My friend has a radio show on the community radio station once a week, so I got to sit in on the show and introduce myself on the air. They played some American music and a recording they had made of the Princess Bride in Pulaar, the local language there. They even invited the community to call in and talk to them on the air! It was pretty impressive, and well received by the community. I also got to talk to a volunteer about a shea nut and peanut sheller machine that he helped build. It is pretty inexpensive and very efficient, so I think I might try it out with some associations I am working with in Mali.

The trip back to Kenieba was pretty easy, since Kedougou is only 150 kilometers away, and most of the trip is on a brand new paved road! The trip that I usually take to get back to Kenieba, from Kayes, the regional capital, is 250 kilometers away on a dirt road. So this made for a much better and more relaxing trip back. All in all, it was a great vacation, a real escape from work and life here in Mali. I have a good feeling I will be back to Senegal again in the future!