Professional Documents
Culture Documents
MALI
A P E A C E C O R P S P U B L I C ATI O N
FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS
January 2008
A WELCOME LETTER
Dear Future Volunteers,
Congratulations on your invitation to join the Peace Corps in Mali!
We await your arrival and look forward to having you with us during
the next two years. Peace Corps/Mali, one of the largest programs
in Africa, celebrates 37 years in 2008. You could not be arriving at a
more auspicious time.
I started my job as country director in August 2000 in Mauritania,
then moved to Mali in 2004. But even before then, I had lived in
West Africa for a number of years, including serving as a Peace
Corps Volunteer in Niger in the late 80s. I hope you will come to
appreciate the wonders of this region as much as I have.
Although you will have to leave many comforts and expectations of
efficiency at home, if you keep an open mind, you can trade these
for amazing experiences and deep and lasting friendships that will
enhance the rest of your life. There is a very rich experience waiting
to unfold here for you. Let it happen. There will be differences in
culture, language, and religion that will become evident in the things
that people hold sacred, in their humor, and in the way they order
their lives. Understanding and respecting these differences will be
critical to your effectiveness and happiness as a Volunteer.
Your ability to communicate in either French or a local language will
be key to your success here. We are serious about language training
and have a great program, but there is only so much we can do in
your first nine weeks. Give yourself a head start by reviewing your
high school or college French textbooks; you will be glad you did.
The Peace Corps program in Mali is a dynamic one. Volunteers
are working in agriculture, small enterprise development, health
education, natural resource management, and water and sanitation.
Since 1971, more than 2,100 Volunteers have served two successful
years here. The 106 Volunteers now serving in Mali are doing
incredible and important work. We hope you will join all of us in this
great adventure. If you bring your hopes, willingness to learn, and
sense of humor, you will be fine. Welcome! Im looking forward to
meeting you at the airport in Bamako.
Kateri Clement
Country Director
TA B L E O F C O NTE NTS
Map of Mali
A Welcome Letter 1
Packing List 77
Pre-departure Checklist 87
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Government
Economy
12 PEACE CORPS
People and Culture
Environment
www.state.gov
The U.S. State Departments website issues background notes
periodically about countries around the world. Find Mali and
learn more about its social and political history.
www.geography.about.com/library/maps/blindex.htm
This online world atlas includes maps and geographical
information, and each country page contains links to
other sites, such as the Library of Congress, that contain
comprehensive historical, social, and political background.
www.worldinformation.com
This site provides an additional source of current and
historical information about countries worldwide.
http://www.usaidmali.org/
USAIDs website containing information about their various
activities in Mali.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_
profiles/1021454.stm
BBC News country profile about Mali; contains links to
current news concerning Mali.
http://w3.culture.gov.ml/
Web site for the Malian Ministry of Culture, in French.
www.rpcv.org
This is the site of the National Peace Corps Association, made
up of returned Volunteers. On this site you can find links to
all the Web pages of the friends of groups for most countries
of service, made up of former Volunteers who served in those
countries. There are also regional groups who frequently get
together for social events and local Volunteer activities.
http://www.rpcvwebring.org
This site is known as the Returned Peace Corps Volunteer
Web Ring. Browse the Web ring and see what former
Volunteers are saying about their service.
www.peacecorpswriters.org
This site is hosted by a group of returned Volunteer writers.
It is a monthly online publication of essays and Volunteer
accounts of their Peace Corps service.
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/malipc/
Join to stay in touch with current and former Mali Volunteers
and their families.
http://www.friendsofmali.org/
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer group dedicated to
promoting an understanding of the people and culture of
Mali and supporting the Peace Corps third goalto bring the
world back homeby encouraging members to share their
experiences with their own communities.
http://claremajor.net/peacecorps/packing
Currently serving Peace Corps/Mali Volunteers found this
packing list, created by an RPCV from Senegal, to be a helpful
supplement to the packing list at the end of this Welcome
Book. Note that it is not meant to replace or supersede the
official packing list (found at the end of this book) especially
in regards to culturally appropriate dress!
www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Country_Specific/Mali.
html
University of Pennsylvania page with links to other sites of
interest
www.uiowa.edu/~africart/
A University of Iowa site set up by former Burkina Faso
Volunteer Christopher Roy, an expert on Voltaic masks
www.allafrica.com
An informative site with links to a variety of resources
International Development Sites
www.unaids.org
Information on the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/
AIDS
www.unicef.org
UNICEF
www.who.int/en/
World Health Organization
Recommended Books
1. Bingen, R. James, et al. (eds.). Democracy and
Development in Mali. Ann Arbor: Michigan State
University, 2000.
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8. Imperato, Pascal James. Legends, Sorcerers, and
Enchanted Lizards: Door Locks of the Bamana of
Mali. New York: Holmes and Meier, 2001.
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NOTES
Mail
The postal system in Mali is relatively reliable by African
standards. Few Volunteers report problems with receiving
letters and packages sent from the United States by airmail,
but the mail can take three to four weeks to arrive. Surface
mail is slightly less reliable, significantly less expensive, and
takes much longersix months to a year or more. Mail within
the country takes a few days to two weeks. Volunteers can
have important documents sent from the U.S. via DHL.
24 PEACE CORPS
Housing and Site Location
Transportation
26 PEACE CORPS
in a life-threatening emergency. Moreover, Volunteers are not
permitted to ride as a passenger on motorcycles.
The Sahel provides grazing land for more than half of the
countrys 5 million to 6 million cattle. The savanna is the most
densely populated and most heavily cultivated area, furnishing
most of the cereal, cotton, and peanuts produced in Mali. The
richest farming area is in and around the Niger River basin.
Social Activities
28 PEACE CORPS
Malians generally consider it important to dress appropriately
whenever they are going to be seen in publicwhether at
work, in the market, or at a bar. It is almost unheard of, for
example, for a Malian man or woman to wear shorts unless
he or she is taking part in some kind of sporting event. Nor
would a professional man or woman ever be seen in public
wearing dirty, disheveled, wrinkled, or torn clothing. Dressing
appropriately will greatly enhance your credibility, improve
your ability to integrate into your community, and increase
your odds of having a safe Peace Corps service. Aside from
following Malian norms for dress, however, Volunteers need
to be aware of other unwritten rules of the culture, such as
the fact that Malian women never go to a bar on their own.
Serving in the Peace Corps often requires sacrificing personal
preferences regarding dress and behavior. There will be ample
discussion of this subject during cross-cultural sessions in pre-
service training.
Personal Safety
30 PEACE CORPS
and family and cutting them off from economic opportunities.
As a Peace Corps Volunteer, you will confront these issues on
a very personal level. It is important to be aware of the high
emotional toll that disease, death, and violence can have on
Volunteers. As you strive to integrate into your community,
you will develop relationships with local people who might
die during your service. Because of the AIDS pandemic,
some Volunteers will be regularly meeting with HIV-positive
people and working with training staff, office staff, and host
family members living with AIDS. Volunteers need to prepare
themselves to embrace these relationships in a sensitive and
positive manner. Likewise, malaria and malnutrition, motor
vehicle accidents and other unintentional injuries, domestic
violence and corporal punishment are problems a Volunteer
may confront. You will need to anticipate these situations and
utilize supportive resources available throughout your training
and service to maintain your own emotional strength so that
you can continue to be of service to your community.
32 PEACE CORPS
NOTES
Technical Training
Technical training will prepare you to work in Mali by building
on the skills you already have and by helping you develop new
skills in a manner appropriate to the needs of the country.
The Peace Corps staff, Malian experts, and current Volunteers
will conduct the training program. Training places great
emphasis on learning how to transfer the skills you have to
the community in which you will serve as a Volunteer.
Language Training
As a Peace Corps Volunteer, you will find that language skills
are the key to personal and professional satisfaction during
your service. These skills are critical to your job performance,
they help you integrate into your community, and they can
ease your personal adaptation to the new surroundings.
Therefore, language training is the heart of the training
program, and you must successfully meet minimum language
requirements to complete training and become a Volunteer.
36 PEACE CORPS
Most trainees focus on learning local languages. Some,
especially those assigned to live in larger villages and towns,
will initially focus on French and then move on to study a
local language once they have achieved the required level of
French. Malian language instructors teach formal language
classes seven days a week in small groups of four to five
people.
Cross-Cultural Training
The experience of living with a Malian host family is designed
to ease your transition to life at your site. Families go through
an orientation conducted by Peace Corps staff to explain the
purpose of pre-service training and to assist them in helping
you adapt to living in Mali. Many Volunteers form strong and
lasting friendships with their training host families.
Health Training
During pre-service training, you will be given basic medical
training and information. You will be expected to practice
preventive healthcare and to take responsibility for your
Safety Training
During the safety training sessions, you will learn how to
adopt a lifestyle that reduces your risks at home, at work, and
during your travels. You will also learn appropriate, effective
strategies for coping with unwanted attention and about your
individual responsibility for promoting safety throughout your
service.
38 PEACE CORPS
The number, length, and design of these trainings are adapted
to country-specific needs and conditions. The key to the
training system is that training events are integrated and
interrelated, from the pre-departure orientation through
the end of your service, and are planned, implemented, and
evaluated cooperatively by the training staff, Peace Corps
staff, and Volunteers.
The Peace Corps will provide you with all the necessary
inoculations, medications, and information to stay healthy.
Upon your arrival in Mali, you will receive a medical
handbook. At the end of training, you will receive a medical
kit with supplies to take care of mild illnesses and first-aid
needs. The contents of the kit are listed later in this chapter.
42 PEACE CORPS
extremely important in areas where diagnostic and treatment
facilities are not up to the standards of the United States.
The most important of your responsibilities in Mali is to take
preventive measures.
44 PEACE CORPS
Medical Kit Contents
Ace bandages
Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
Adhesive tape
Antacid tablets
Antibiotic ointment (Bacitracin/Neomycin/Polymycin B)
Antifungal cream (Clotrimazole 1%)
Antiseptic antimicrobial skin cleaner (Hibiclens)
Band-Aids
Butterfly closures
Condoms
Cough drops
Dental floss
Diphenhydramine HCL 25 mg (Benadryl)
Electrol Plus tablets
Emergency First Aid Pocket Guide
Eye Wash
Hydrocortisone 1% anti-itch cream
Ibuprofen
Imodium
Insect repellent with DEET
Latex gloves (1 pair)
Lip balm ( Carmex)
Multivitamins
Oral thermometer (Celsius)
Pepto-Bismol
Pseudoephedrine HCL 30 mg (Sudafed)
Scissors
Sterile gauze pads
Sunscreen Lotion (SPF 30+)
Throat lozenges
Tweezers
Water Purification Tablets
Whistle
If your dental exam was done more than one year ago, or if
your physical exam is more than two years old, contact the
Office of Medical Services to find out whether you need to
update your records. If your dentist or Peace Corps dental
consultant has recommended that you undergo dental
treatment or repair, you must complete that work and make
sure your dentist sends requested confirmation reports or X-
rays to the Office of Medical Services.
46 PEACE CORPS
herbal or nonprescribed medications, such as St. Johns wort,
glucosamine, selenium, or antioxidant supplements.
If you wear eyeglasses, bring two pairs with youa pair and
a spare. If a pair breaks, the Peace Corps will replace it, using
the information your doctor in the United States provided on
the eyeglasses form during your examination. We discourage
you from using contact lenses during your Peace Corps
service to reduce your risk of developing a serious infection
or other eye disease. Most Peace Corps countries do not have
appropriate water and sanitation to support eye care with
the use of contact lenses. The Peace Corps will not supply
or replace contact lenses or associated solutions unless an
ophthalmologist has recommended their use for a specific
medical condition and the Peace Corps Office of Medical
Services has given approval.
48 PEACE CORPS
Location: Most crimes occurred when Volunteers
were in public areas (e.g., street, park, beach, public
buildings).
Time of day: Assaults usually took place on the weekend
during the evening between 5:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.
with most assaults occurring around 11:00 p.m.
Absence of others: Assaults usually occurred when the
Volunteer was unaccompanied. In 73 percent of the
sexual assaults the Volunteer was unaccompanied and
in 48 percent of physical assaults the Volunteer was
unaccompanied.
Relationship to assailant: In most assaults, the
Volunteer did not know the assailant.
Consumption of alcohol: Fourteen (14) percent of all
assaults involved alcohol consumption by Volunteers.
Twenty-six (26) percent of all assaults involved alcohol
consumption by assailants.
50 PEACE CORPS
If a trainee or Volunteer is the victim of a safety incident,
Peace Corps staff is prepared to provide support. All Peace
Corps posts have procedures in place to respond to incidents
of crime committed against Volunteers. The first priority for
all posts in the aftermath of an incident is to ensure that the
Volunteer is safe and receiving medical treatment as needed.
After assuring the safety of the Volunteer, Peace Corps staff
provides support by reassessing the Volunteers work site
and housing arrangements and making any adjustments,
as needed. In some cases, the nature of the incident may
necessitate a site or housing transfer. Peace Corps staff will
also assist Volunteers with preserving their rights to pursue
legal sanctions against the perpetrators of the crime. It is very
important that Volunteers report incidents as they occur, not
only to protect their peer Volunteers, but also to preserve the
future right to prosecute. Should Volunteers decide later in
the process that they want to proceed with the prosecution
of their assailant, this option may no longer exist if the
evidence of the event has not been preserved at the time of
the incident.
52 PEACE CORPS
a weapon with minor injuries); other sexual assault (fondling,
groping, etc.); aggravated assault (attacking with a weapon,
and/or without a weapon when serious injury results); and
rape (sexual intercourse without consent).
54 PEACE CORPS
anywhere in the world, crime does exist in Mali. You can
reduce your risk by avoiding situations that make you feel
uncomfortable and by taking precautions. Crime at the village
or town level is far less frequent than in Bamako and regional
capitals; people know each other and generally will not steal
from their neighbors. Safety concerns in Mali follow.
56 PEACE CORPS
avoid becoming a victim of crime, keep your money out of
sight by using an undergarment money pouch, the kind that
stays hidden under your shirt or inside your coat. Do not walk
in downtown Bamako at nightalways take a taxi. Elsewhere,
if you must walk, be sure to go with a companion. In addition,
always carry Peace Corps identification (which you will
receive in training) and emergency numbers for the Peace
Corps office and staff.
58 PEACE CORPS
NOTES
62 PEACE CORPS
What Might a Volunteer Face?
64 PEACE CORPS
Possible Issues for Volunteers With Disabilities
As a disabled Volunteer in Mali, you may find that you face
a special set of challenges. There are few services available
for people with disabilities and local support is likely to be
inadequate to accommodate a physically challenged Volunteer.
68 PEACE CORPS
the safekeeping of their personal belongings. However, you
can purchase such insurance before you leave. If you wish,
you may contact your own insurance company; additionally,
insurance application forms will be provided, and we
encourage you to consider them carefully. Volunteers should
not ship or take valuable items overseas. Jewelry, watches,
radios, cameras, and expensive appliances are subject to
loss, theft, and breakage, and in many places, satisfactory
maintenance and repair services are not available.
70 PEACE CORPS
Differences in technology make U.S. cellphones incompatible
with the Malian cellular systems. For these reasons, we
recommend that you not bring a cellphone with you. For
safety and security reasons, Peace Corps has a one site-one
phone policy whereby Volunteers who are alone in sites with
network coverage will receive cellphones. Some Volunteers
purchase their own cellphones after they arrive in Mali,
although not all Volunteer sites are within cellphone network
range.
74 PEACE CORPS
NOTES
General
You can get almost everything you need in Mali. The things
you cannot get here are:
Music system (portable CD player or iPod/mp3 player,
good portable speakers)
Mosquito net tent (portable, e.g., REI or Tropic Screen)
Jump drive/thumb drive (however Peace Corps will
issue one to each Volunteer)
Durable shoes (both sandals like Tevas/Chacos or
running/sports shoes)
Good kitchen knife
Clothing
For Men
Casual dress clothes: shirts with collars and slacks
(preferably lightweight cotton)
Two-week supply of underwear
One dressy outfit and one tie for official functions
One or two pairs of shorts for sports
78 PEACE CORPS
For Women
One slip (preferably cotton), if your skirts are sheer
A good supply of bras and underwear, including sports
bras
Two nice outfits for official functions (calf length or
longer)
Several dressy shirts
Several nice, comfortable pairs of cotton pants
One or two pairs of shorts or loose capris for sports
Cosmetics, if you wear them
Your favorite jewelry (but nothing too expensive or that
you would be devastated to lose)
Shoes
One pair of sneakers or trail running shoes
One pair of sturdy sandals (e.g., Teva, Reef,
Birkenstock, or Chaco brand
One pair of dressier shoes (for more formal occasions
for women dressier flats are fine.)
One pair of shower flip-flops
80 PEACE CORPS
Two pairs of prescription glasses or contact lenses and
solution
Three-month supply of any prescription medication you
take (including birth control pills)
Nail clippers or nail care kit
Earplugs
Heat rash powder
Kitchen
You can find almost any kitchen item in Mali. You will not need
any kitchen supplies during training, so you may want to have
any items you choose to bring sent to you later. Following are
a few items we recommend bringing:
Good can opener or corkscrew
Good frying pan (Non-stick is highly recommended, and
bring a plastic spatula for it)
Healthy foods (e.g., power bars, dried fruits, trail mix)
to help you get through the phase of adjusting to Malian
cuisine.
Dry sauce mixes and instant drink mixes (available in
Mail but much more expensive)
Favorite spices (e.g., Mrs. Dash, Italian seasonings,
Mexican spices)
Seeds for spices and veggies to start your own garden
Your favorite snack foods from America
Miscellaneous
Sturdy backpacks (Day packs for work and bike rides;
medium packs for short trips; large packs for long trips)
Leatherman, Swiss army knife, or other multipurpose
tool
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Additional Items to Consider Bringing
Sports equipment (e.g., soccer ball, football, frisbee,
baseball mitt)
U.S. and world maps
Travel games (e.g., cards, chess, checkers, Frisbee,
backgammon, Scrabble, Monopoly, Taboo, Trivial
Pursuit, Risk)
Pocket-size French-English dictionary
Musical instrument
Calendar
Digital thermometer
Compact sleeping pad
Notecards, stationery, good writing pens, address
book, books of U.S. stamps (Volunteers traveling to the
United States can mail letters for you)
Small toolkit
Light, highly compactable sleeping bag
Eyeglass repair kit
Your favorite movies on DVD or videocassette (there
are DVD players and VCRs at Peace Corps regional
houses)
Laptop computer
84 PEACE CORPS
NOTES
Family
Notify family that they can call the Peace Corps Office
of Special Services at any time if there is a critical
illness or death of a family member (24-hour telephone
number: 800.424.8580, extension 1470).
Give the Peace Corps On the Home Front handbook to
family and friends.
Passport/Travel
Forward to the Peace Corps travel office all paperwork
for the Peace Corps passport and visas.
Verify that luggage meets the size and weight limits for
international travel.
Obtain a personal passport if you plan to travel after
your service ends. (Your Peace Corps passport will
expire three months after you finish your service, so
if you plan to travel longer, you will need a regular
passport.)
Medical/Health
Complete any needed dental and medical work.
If you wear glasses, bring two pairs.
Arrange to bring a three-month supply of all
medications (including birth control pills) you are
currently taking.
Personal Papers
Bring a copy of your certificate of marriage or divorce.
Voting
Register to vote in the state of your home of record.
(Many state universities consider voting and payment
of state taxes as evidence of residence in that state.)
Obtain a voter registration card and take it with you
overseas.
Arrange to have an absentee ballot forwarded to you
overseas.
Personal Effects
Purchase personal property insurance to extend from
the time you leave your home for service overseas until
the time you complete your service and return to the
United States.
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Financial Management
Obtain student loan deferment forms from the lender or
loan service.
Execute a power of attorney for the management of
your property and business.
Arrange for deductions from your readjustment
allowance to pay alimony, child support, and other
debts through the Office of Volunteer Financial
Operations at 800.424.8580, extension 1770.
Place all important papersmortgages, deeds, stocks,
and bonds in a safe deposit box or with an attorney
or other caretaker.
For Direct/
Questions Toll-free Local
About: Staff Extension Number
Responding to Office of
an Invitation Placement
Africa Ext. 1850 202.692.1850
Region
Medical Handled by a
Reimbursements Subcontractor 800.818.8772
92 PEACE CORPS
P EAC E C O R P S
Paul D. Coverdell Peace Corps Headquarters
1111 20th Street NW Washington, DC 20526 www.peacecorps.gov 1-800-424-8580