Feeble Attempts

I'd forgotten to pack lunch (usually a simple sandwich) so I decided to go to lunch with a few of my coworkers at a Malian restaurant. There, we met a bunch of Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs for short). Some of us started intermingling and talking... I really admired them - I guess that's why joining the Peace Corps is one of those options to take should I fail to get into a French grad school or to get the job position with the UNDP. They actually live with Malians, so they sort of know the inside scoop while volunteers with NGOs, IGOs, or those coming to Mali independently sort of live in this "bubble" of Western influence. It's kind of true. PCVs actually are taught Bambara or another local language for 3 months before they actually start their volunteer work. Only about half of the Malians I met (in non-professional settings) spoke French so I guess knowing Bambara really helps in communicating with the locals. I heard frightening stories of bathrooms that were essentially holes in the ground and how they don't have/use toilet paper!!! (Just like that town near Bamako I'd gone to yesterday) At least my conditions here were never that bad... and I lived with other African nationalities, not necessarily Malians.

We told them since none of us really spoke Bambara fluently, we hadn't really been able to communicate with the locals on deeper matters. They seemed to criticize this and I understand where they're coming from. We both noted that there were essentially 4 types of foreigners who were in Mali for extended periods of time: NGO workers/volunteers, IGO workers/volunteers (that would include yours truly), PCVs, and missionaries. Then one of the PCVs told me a great joke that I'd like to share:

A villager falls into a hole he can't climb out of. Later, a missionary walks by. The villager explains his plight, and the missionary throws down a bible. "If you follow Jesus, he will show you the way."
The villager is still in his hole when an NGO worker walks by. The villager explains, and the NGO worker throws down a wad of money and walks away.
Still in the hole, an IGO worker walks by. The villager explains and the IGO worker walks away then walks back and throw down money, food, and a pile of paperwork and tells the villager, "Fill out these forms and send them in. We'll get you help after we receive all the properly completed documents."
The villager can't fill out the documents because he is illiterate and he stays in the hole. A PC volunteer walks by. The villager explains, and the PCV runs off. After a while, the volunteer returns with a bag and jumps into the hole. "Did you bring something to climb out with?" asks the villager.
"No," says the volunteer, "I'm coming to live with you!"

Hilarious, isn't it? I guess it's sort of true to an extent... all these stories. We're all trying, we're all attempting to help but nothing we're doing seems to have pulled African countries out of their holes. What exactly are we doing wrong? I've read countless articles and books on the subject and it seems that everyone has their own "grand solution" to solving Africa's problems. It seems though, there is no "solution" that the West can provide. The missionaries, IGOs, NGOs, PCVs of the world come to Africa to help but what we are doing doesn't seem to help them. Maybe we need some kind of combination of everything? I don't know, honestly... and that is what's frustrating. If Malians don't need bibles, money, or food thrown at them and they don't need people coming to live with them, what is it that they need. Do they need anything at all? That's something I'm going to have to ruminate over a cup of coffee once I get back to the apartment.

Today's Random Quiz:

You Are a Raspberry Latte

You are known for being a trendsetter. You can't help but be attracted to things that are a little offbeat. You enjoy new and complex experiences. You approach all aspects of life with an open mind. Personal growth and change is quite important to you. You enjoy pushing yourself. You aren't dogmatic, and you don't like people who are. You play the devil's advocate and see all sides of an issue.

What Flavor Latte Are You?