When in Mali...

Do as the Malians do? I guess that is what it means to be integrated! I just spent 14 hrs on a bus and wasn't really even that bothered by it! Weird huh...

I keep thinking of the serenity prayer... "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." I feel like this should be the Peace Corps motto. I have never been the most religious person, but I find myself thinking back to prayer almost daily. If I could just live here in Mali and not have to do anything it would be fine. I know that sounds horrible, but its soooo frustrating trying to get anything done!

My main problem I am facing right now is all America and Americans fault! Why do we feel the need to just throw money at situations? I am in no way putting Africans to blame, because they don't know any different. America just forms all kinds of organizations to "help starving children in Africa" who come in give a village or two tons of money and maybe builds something then leaves. This maybe helps these starving children for a month or two, then they are right back where they started from! Peace Corps is different, and it is killing me trying to explain and show my village how i am not just another American from yet another NGO, who is going to come throw money at them to band aid up their wounds and leave! The whole point for PC, and what should be the whole point for all organizations is to help our people elevate, and be self sustainable. It does hardly any good to give a village $10,000 to feed themselves in the long run. They will feast for a few weeks or maybe even months, but then run out of food again. PC thought is, use that $10,000 to build a community garden, teach farmers how to compost and use natural fertilizers, and teach mothers how to use everyday foods and make more nutritious meals with the food they can get daily, thus allowing them to harvest foods from the garden every year and get more from the crops they already farm every year... Make sense right? Then why doesn't every one do that?

As a result, my job is so friggin hard. I am not in the position to tell Malians, no I am not going to buy you all these things you don't need, but I am going to teach you things that will be very useful... They look at me like I have 3 heads! FML

So, I say "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference"