Kati, Mali

Program Launch Event
June 26 - July 1, 2008

The organization's program launch ceremony included two dance troupes. They were really great - I was overwhelmed with the opportunity to see them perform.

The mayor of Kati (in purple) gave a welcoming speech and endorsed the organization's programming. I was seated next to him at the ceremony. He did not speak English but he was very gracious that I was there in his community.

These two men requested that I take their photo.
They are two important and influential men in the Kati community. My understanding was that you can't do much in Kati without their blessing.

Kati, Mali

The animals of Kati and Bamako
June 26 - July 1, 2008

I saw A LOT of goats and was surprised by some cows - oh and I saw plenty of chickens. I really like this first picture below. We were going over the bumpiest road ever (aka all the roads in Kati) and I saw these two on the train tracks (which go all the way to Senegal) and I snapped a shot. I can't believe its in focus - it was the first picture I got excited about in Mali.)

Just one big trash heap with lots of goats.

This goat was "unruly" with this man. It actually reminded me of when Sherlock refuses to listen.

We were driving along in Bamako and then like right out of a movie all these cows appeared in the road. I took my camera out a little late but you get the idea... we were surrounded by cows! Fascinating! Get it on film!

Kati, Mali

People I met in Kati
June 26 - July 1, 2008

I met some amazing people on this trip. My visits with them were humbling and inspiring. People were warm and friendly even though we could barely communicate (French and Bambara are spoken in Mali), I felt very welcomed by everyone I met with.

This woman, Amara Koné, is a locoal government representative and well-known political figure in Kati. We talked about the issues women politicians face in Kati.

The woman in the middle is Amara's mother. The building behind us is unfinished because Amara's husband recently died. In Kati, when a husband dies the property goes to the oldest son - if there is no son then the property goes to the husband's brother - and so on until it is under authority of a man, otherwise it goes to the "state". Women in Kati can not own property. The reason Amara kept her home was because she is fairly well-connected in Kati.
This woman is Madame Thoove. She too is a respected political figure and has been in politics for a long time. All the photos of those kids mugging for the camera are her grandchildren.

This young woman was being tutored when we arrived at her home to speak with another female politician. She was wearing a dress of fabric honoring International Women's Day (March 8th), which is a big deal everywhere in the world but America. Lack of education for woman is an obvious problem in many countries I will visit for my job.

This young man manages the local community radio broadcast. The organization I was there with will be using the radio as its main outreach tool to the community. The newspapers are not a reliable way to reach people due to illiteracy. This guy was really cool.


This is my travel companion and co-worker Claire who was 5 months pregnant at the time of our adventure.
This is Bouyé Diallo (left) and Sekou Doumbia. They both work for the organization. Sekou was my main source of transportation and spoke English. Bouyé only spoke French but was super nice and we managed to understand each other quite well.

This is us leaving the radio station. The woman in yellow, Djingarey Maiga, is the president of the organization. She is a phenomenal woman.

The man on the left works with the organization. He is also a singer in a band called African Son (maybe Sun). In the basement of this restaurant is a night club. They wanted to show it to me so we went down there and they turned on the disco ball and played his band's cd. Everyone was dancing and singing, it was the most fun!

This was during the organization's first introductory workshop. I had to speak to the women (through Sekou). The best part about talking through an interpretor is that you can stop yourself if you are making no sense etc. and still fix it before the group of 30 people hear what you say. Just imagine the stupid shit I could censor if I had that type of delay when talking.

Find the pasty girl!

Kati, Mali

What did you eat?
June 26 - July 1, 2008

Layover in Paris on our way to Kati. I hadn't slept on the plane and I was exhausted. We went to a joint at the airport. I got classic bread and cafe au lait.

Don't eat salad in Africa. I knew that cause if you can't drink the water there and they WASH the lettuce with their water... you have a problem. But alas, I did eat salad twice. After the second time I asked Claire if I was in essence 'asking for it' and she said, Yes. I am happy to report though that I did not get sick.

This was what they were serving. I will no longer be surprised by the 'no menu' restaurant. Anyway, I was not stoked but I saw the french fries as a good sign. Unfortunately, though....

They served me the french fries with the chicken sauce. That is when depression set in... perfectly good french fries ruined! But I ate it anyway. This was my first day in Mali.

Mango! Everywhere and every day. I tried so hard to like mango, especially because it was the freshest fruit ever. But I simply don't like mango - I think it's the aftertaste.

Claire on the other hand bought 5 mangos and ate them for breakfast each day.

Dinner at the hotel: puree vegetable soup. It tasted horrible. I added salt - then it became a salty version of horrible.

Yay! Cheese!

The second time I ate salad. This restaurant had a straw roof. This was my second day in Mali.

Oh god, oh sweet god this was bad. Bad bad bad. I ate it though. Not a lot but I HAD to eat. I did a round robin of bread and water and soda to wash it down.

Couscous. Not good. And that little shot glass is hot Malian tea. That will rob your mouth of any and all taste and only leave behind its own taste of what I assume car battery fluid tastes like.

And for dessert... mango and pinneapple. Ugh. At this point I would have killed someone for a dish of macaroni and cheese. Killed. Someone.

Traditional Malian dish. Better than the day before. I don't like onions but I ate them up along with the cucumbers and the rice/grain stuff. This was my third day in Mali. I was so hungry... sooooo hungry.


This was a great moment. One our second night at the hotel the waiter offered spaghetti (which was not on the menu). I ate it every dinner for the rest of my 5 dinners while there. It wasn't great, but damn if I didn't care. Dinner was my only safe haven for food.

Kati, Mali

Children of Kati
June 26 - July 1, 2008

These kids were amazing. I took photo after photo after photo and showed them the digital image on the camera. They were laughing and just cracking up at themselves. I took maybe 20 photos.

We visited a local radio station where I found these three boys sitting in the shade on what was a very very hot day.

This little girl is a supermodel in the making.