Trachoma operations.
Trachoma is an eye disease caused by repeated and untreated infections of the eye, common in the dusty Sahel climate. It causes the eyelids to turn inwards, thus making the eye lashes scratch against the retina with painful and dangerous results, sometimes causing blindness or even death. It can be treated easily with ointment in the early stages, and in the latter stages a very simple operation can give a person back their eye sight for about 20 000 FCFA (about 30 euros.)
The Medecins Sans Frontiers trained two senior nurses from the Djenne Health Centre, Barry and Keita, to do the operations and the programme ran for three years after which the funding ran out. The little box of specialized operations equipment remained however, and the knowledge of how to do it, so MaliMali decided to pick up and continue this project.
When we have gathered 500 000FCFA, either by our own sales or by donations we do a Trachoma campaign into the villages with the co-operation and knowledge of the Health Authorities here. The Health Centres in out-lying villages are contacted to let people know that we are coming for a consultation. Often Barry operates there and then on up to twenty patients a day. The patients are then given antibiotics and some days later we will return when the bandages are taken off. This is the best bit! Quite literally the blind will see.
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M. Diarra’s Adult Literacy Class.
M. Diarra is a local school teacher who runs a popular Adult Literacy Evening class every week night in Djenne. This was already started several years ago by some local people who wanted to learn to read. Sometimes they had the money to pay for M. Diarra’s wages, sometimes that was difficult, so the course ran intermittently only. MaliMali decided to sponsor this, since it was something worthwhile already started by the Djenne population. We pay M. Diarra’s wages which are 30 000 FCFA per month.
The Djenne Manuscript Library.
The ancient Arabic manuscripts of Timbuktu are world famous. The town of Djenne is even older than Timbuktu, and historically just as important. There are thousands of ancient manuscripts in Djenne. An effort is underway with the British Library to rescue these manuscripts, which are kept in private families where they can easily be destroyed by termites and other hazards. There is a municipal manuscript library, built by the people of Djenne, where many of the manuscripts are being re housed. This is not a state institution, and there are no salaries for the staff. MaliMali has been paying the wages of Garba, the archivist since October 2010. (50 000FCFA per month). We have had sponsorship for this money, and would be grateful for more, of course!
Talibes
Many people believe that there are ‘street children’ in Djenne. This is not so. The little boys seen around Djenne begging with bowls slung around their shoulders are talibes or garibous, and they are attached to a Koran school where they learn to recite the Koran. Their parents are aware that they are begging and that they are suffering hardship, but they have chosen this for them for a period. It is an ancient Islamic tradition which we find cruel, but they are not orphans.
In the months of December and January it can get cold in Djenne so during a cold spell MaliMali buys them extra clothing in the second hand market and serves up hot Bouille – a millet porridge in the early morning for the Talibes of the neighbourhood.
Madame Koita’s Orphans.
There are occasionally real orphans in Djenne too, but they are rare, since the large African family always absorbs and feeds any child that may lose its parents. The Djenne orphans are born to young girls that come from the surrounding villages to work as maids in African households in Djenne. If they fall pregnant they dare not go back home with the baby so they abandon it or give it Madame Koita, a local housewife with several children of her own. This kind woman has three or four orphans at any time which she feeds and nurtures. She, like many other Djenne housewives, earns a few pennies by frying and selling sweet potato and homemade treats at one of the school gates. MaliMali gives her 20 000 FCFA a month as support for her orphans.