Dogon visit #2 last December... (I know it was a while ago...)

Wow… so it has been over three months now since an update. Sorry about that – I feel like I am always saying something about how long it’s been when I write a post... Anyhow, here goes.

Overall life has been good and in fact, now that I’m reflecting on the time since I last wrote, I’ve stakeholders in the area for a three day meeting to set individual, sector/organizational, and universal goals relating to tourism in Dogon Country. Everyone there was a Director, President, Owner, Founder, Chief, or Mayor of this or that – essentially all the big wigs which is something that has never happened… ever. It was great to participate and see everything come together (being that Peace Corps is one of the stakeholders, under International NGOs – i.e. World Ban actually done a fair few things. Back in the middle of December (I know, I know – December!) I was invited to forum in Dogon Country near Mopti put on by the GSTA (Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance). They were kicking off a five year + project bringing together all thek, US Forest Service, etc.).

It also was an opportunity to meet and hang out with some of the new volunteers (or at least they were new back then, hardly so anymore). I got along well with the Anthony, artisan volunteer in Mopti-ville, and Chris, natural resource management volunteer in Dogon; afterwards, we all decided to take a little trip out to Chris’s site. His village is right on the edge of the cliffs… his house has a view out over the lower plains! Beautiful. I’m quite jealous. (I’m writing this off-line now, but I think I put up some photos a while back from that little excursion. If not, I will get some up shortly – just check out my photo albums.)



When I envisioned my Peace Corps experience, I originally thought I would be placed in a small village like his (maybe 500 people) where I could really become part of the community – not in a 100,000+ regional capital where I’m just another toubab (white person). Sure, he doesn’t have electricity or running water and has a hole in the ground for a bathroom but when else do you have the chance to live like that for two years?

Quick story – “Dogon Country” was the first thing I ever heard about Mali. As some of you might remember, the spring before I came over here I went travelling around Central America, which is where I was when I found out exactly where I was going for the Peace Corps. This was a big deal. The way the application process works with Peace Corps, you don’t find out where you’re going until way into the applications process. I can only compare it to applying to college but with the twist of having applied to over a hundred schools and having the decision made for you… just waiting for that one envelope in the mail, oh and for me this ‘process’ took almost 2 years!



I was in Antigua, Guatemala right after Semana Santa (the holy week around Easter – almost 2 years ago! Wow.) I’d just found out (the letter was mailed home and my mum emailed me the response) and was out with some friends celebrating. I ran into a former PC volunteer from Benin and when I told her where I was going she got so excited! She started raving about this place called Dogon Country in Mali and how wonderful the people there are and how incredibly beautiful the landscape is – I think she said she’d been there at least 3 times, which now that I’m here is quite a feat considering how far away Benin is from Mali.

I had done a small report on Chad way back in 5th grade so had an idea where Mali was in West Africa but other than that, I was totally in the dark. Now all I knew was relatively where it was and that there was this mysterious place called Dogon Country there. I was hooked – I was determined to be placed in Dogon Country and do my service there. Unfortunately, due to realities on the ground, my qualifications and past experiences, they had a more suitable site for me in Segou… but I still have that enigmatic notion of Dogon Country in my head and have taken every opportunity to go there (3 times so far).



Anyhow, while at Chris’s site we walked around enduring endless greetings with his villagers and explored some of the surrounding cliffs – even stumbled upon some ancient gravesites in the cliffs that no westerner has probably ever discovered. I plan to go back and visit Chris this June or July and spend a week or so walking from his village north along the fallaise seeing how far we can get. For now though, we are planning a trip to escape the hot season that is just revving up here in Mali – overland down to Guinea and into Sierra Leone. More details to come so stay tuned.