This is sort of the month of microfinance in Sikoroni! Mike has had three trainings the past two weeks with the five women who compose the microfinance committee. They are a great group—very interested and eager to learn about profits and payments and most importantly—eager to help the community. Mike has put in a seriously tremendous effort. He’s teaching math, the fundamentals of loans, how to advertise, how to work on a committee…I think you get the idea. The women even got to try some American team-builders, although the human knot didn’t really knock their socks off. My friend Papou has been invaluable for helping translate into Bambara (or French…) at the meetings. He is an economics student, so can help Mike with some of those math-y terms in French. The women finished their last training on Friday.

For Saturday, Niang and I planned not only our CHAG meeting, but also a surprise birthday party for Mike (he’s 22!). The Microfinance Committee also came, and we all sang “Joyeux Anniversaire”, drank sugary Malian beverages, and watched Mike blow out his candle and eat a piece of cake. Mike also threw himself a little pizza party at the café by his house where he has a lot of friends. I don’t think I’ve ever seen seven pizzas go so quickly! I’m sure it will be a very remembered birthday.

On the clinic fundraising front, we got some EXCELLENT news last week! We’ve been waiting to hear from the U.S. Embassy here about whether we received their Self-Help Grant for the coming year. Turns out, we are amazing and got $6,000 to put towards the cost of the clinic in Sourakabougou. This means, however, that the community must contribute 33% of the clinic cost (I believe this is around $8,000), so fundraising needs to get kicked up! The clinic committee is finally starting to work (after we threatened a break in our partnership) so I have a completely renewed motivation in clinic affairs.

It is also “le mois de Carème” here…Ramadan. This has its ups and downs…more ups for me since I don’t fast all day. I can eat, drink water, and swallow my spit! Yayyy! We eat really good dinners, followed by bouille (a sugary, watery hot cereal) and some type of sugared drink—usually extremely delicious. Last night was ginger-lemonade of some sort. Unfortunately, the Malian TV station has stopped showing the evening soap opera, which was decidedly the best, so I will never know how “The Heart of the Peach” turns out. Sigh. Also, Niang, Mike, and I went to the movie theatre Thursday night only to discover that it, too, will be closed for the month. I can’t imagine anything closing that long for religious purposes in the United States!

And finally, Fear-Factor, Mali! Background information: I really like dates. I just discovered you can buy them here, particularly this month since they are often used to break fast for Ramadan. I bought about a pound at a store by my house. They definitely were aged, as I found out later…

I sat in my room, Harry Potter in my lap, munching my dates. I was riveted by the story…would Harry escape the Death-Eaters?...When I noticed a small bug crawling on my arm. I brushed it off and continued reading. A bug crawled across the page. I smooshed it, and immediately examined the date I was about to put into my mouth…it had bugs in it. Having eaten about ten similar dates, I swallowed my disgust and my rising nausea and rationalized…just extra protein, right? Then I threw the rest of the dates away, tried not to give in to the urge to vomit, and finished up with Harry Potter. Dad would have been so proud!