Bamako, November 29, 2007
Friday, November 30, 2007
Last week, I traveled to the region of Ségou where trainings of Mali Red Cross volunteers ahead of the campaign were taking place. I traveled with Tereta, who is also a professor of sociology in Bamako. We arrived in Ségou, where the Mali Red Cross supervisors and the regional president gave us a very warm welcome. We then went to see the training of over 25 volunteers who were learning about the five interventions that will be provided during the campaign (vaccination against measles, polio, vitamin A, deworming treatments and mosquito nets).
Every volunteer had a Mali Red Cross vest and they were also learning about the history of the Red Cross. It was very special to see all these people from all age ranges wanting to help others and be part of this huge Movement. They are the best source of inspiration for me.
The next day, we drove an hour to the north of Ségou and found ourselves in the village of Niono. The volunteers at this training were not only working hard but also having lots of fun at the same time! When I arrived with Tereta, they were in the middle of a role-play activity where a group of five volunteers pretended to be the health and Red Cross workers at the vaccination and distribution sites. Another group of volunteers represented the mothers and their children, and the remaining were the audience, which couldn¹t stop laughing and making fun of the nervous actors.
There was laughter, joy and at the same time serious commitment to the work that will be done during the campaign. It was a beautiful experience to be there.
On the way back to Ségou, we stopped at a small town called Marakala. There, we met the chief doctor who is receiving all the mosquito nets sent from the Canadian Red Cross warehouse in Bamako. The level of organization at this health centre was incredible. We also met the Red Cross supervisors who were preparing for the training of volunteers.
Madame Mah N¹Diaye, the Mali Red Cross supervisor in Marakala, is a woman that works in a female mutilation prevention program. The backyard of her house is the office and training centre of the Mali Red Cross in Markala. At this same location, a group of women sew baby clothes, tablecloths and bed covers to sell. This is how they raise funds to support the female mutilation prevention program. I felt a deep respect for their work and commitment and felt tremendously proud to be part of a Movement that counts with people such as this group of women.
We left Marakala before the end of the day and returned to Ségou. As the sun went down, purple, yellow and orange colors spread across the sky and shone over the river Niger. It was a perfect way to say goodbye to the unforgettable and colorful experiences we shared on this day.
Posted for Nathalia Guerrero
Last week, I traveled to the region of Ségou where trainings of Mali Red Cross volunteers ahead of the campaign were taking place. I traveled with Tereta, who is also a professor of sociology in Bamako. We arrived in Ségou, where the Mali Red Cross supervisors and the regional president gave us a very warm welcome. We then went to see the training of over 25 volunteers who were learning about the five interventions that will be provided during the campaign (vaccination against measles, polio, vitamin A, deworming treatments and mosquito nets).
Every volunteer had a Mali Red Cross vest and they were also learning about the history of the Red Cross. It was very special to see all these people from all age ranges wanting to help others and be part of this huge Movement. They are the best source of inspiration for me.
The next day, we drove an hour to the north of Ségou and found ourselves in the village of Niono. The volunteers at this training were not only working hard but also having lots of fun at the same time! When I arrived with Tereta, they were in the middle of a role-play activity where a group of five volunteers pretended to be the health and Red Cross workers at the vaccination and distribution sites. Another group of volunteers represented the mothers and their children, and the remaining were the audience, which couldn¹t stop laughing and making fun of the nervous actors.
There was laughter, joy and at the same time serious commitment to the work that will be done during the campaign. It was a beautiful experience to be there.
On the way back to Ségou, we stopped at a small town called Marakala. There, we met the chief doctor who is receiving all the mosquito nets sent from the Canadian Red Cross warehouse in Bamako. The level of organization at this health centre was incredible. We also met the Red Cross supervisors who were preparing for the training of volunteers.
Madame Mah N¹Diaye, the Mali Red Cross supervisor in Marakala, is a woman that works in a female mutilation prevention program. The backyard of her house is the office and training centre of the Mali Red Cross in Markala. At this same location, a group of women sew baby clothes, tablecloths and bed covers to sell. This is how they raise funds to support the female mutilation prevention program. I felt a deep respect for their work and commitment and felt tremendously proud to be part of a Movement that counts with people such as this group of women.
We left Marakala before the end of the day and returned to Ségou. As the sun went down, purple, yellow and orange colors spread across the sky and shone over the river Niger. It was a perfect way to say goodbye to the unforgettable and colorful experiences we shared on this day.
Posted for Nathalia Guerrero
Labels: africa, bed nets, canadian red cross, international work, madagascar, malaria bites, Nathalia Guerrero
posted by Alison Frehlich at 12:45 PM
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