The Kolda work zone has been ablaze with work these past couple months, and I'm going to brag about it. Back in May we did a world ma tournee. My co-coordinator, Jenny Cobb, led our valiant team from village to city. We gridded out sections of the wall, then drew on a world map with chalk, and painted it in. My favorite art, apart from giving the gift of education, or at least a new talking point, was mixing the colors. Our natural artist, Jim Courtright, was very particular about his continents, and did a wonderful job. He has since begun work for a future African map tournee, which has created large metal stencils for: stay tuned.
Around the same time we began doing malaria market booths as art of World Malaria Month. We each went to different markets and sent the morning talking to people about roer net care and repair. We used the Networks cards, which provide detailed descriptions and picture, to start discussions. We set it u as a game, where market goers would select three cards, read and answer the questions. Correct answers and enthusuastic participation were rewarded with mint flavored candy.
I met some of the women from my village while we were doing this activity again last week. "Come over and lay," I harassed them.They dutifully obliged their toubab, but before I could help them pick out cards, one of the women was shuffling through the cards and explaining in detail how to take care of her net. This was odd because the cards were in French and she can't read. It was only while I was trying to comprehend her raid ulaar that I remembered she had participated in a previous round of Networks sessions... three years ago. Amazing!
And finally, a moringa production scheme has gotten underway in the village of Santancoye. This is where my assigned health post is, and also where my closest sitemate, the aforementioned Jenny Cobb, is an agroforestry volunteer. Last week we planted a garden of about 260 trees. Once the trees have grown about waist high, we will cut them to ensure they don't grow higher and harvest their leaves.
Moringa is amazing because of it's high vitamin content. This is especially amazing in regions that don't have access- financially or mobility-wise- to meals high in nutritional value. Our plan is to train the community health workers at the Santancoye ost in moringa powder production. This requires stripping the tree of its leaves, drying them in the shade, ounding and sifting them into a fine powder, and then selling the idea to the community. We would like to start by giving bags of powder out to the mothers of malnourished children with verbal and written instructions on how to produce moringa powder on their own, and then perhaps start selling it on the chea to other community members. This, of course, is all for the future.
