Day 2 in Mali... Right to Play Blog deux.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 
Today was a big day!! It started at dawn for me with a run to the National Park (which is beautifully manicured and perfect), there's a gym there, open and empty at 7am so I did a quick workout and ran back to the hotel, stuffed breakfast in my face and caught a ride to our first stop for the day.
Above, is a small group from an area called Banconi. The kids from Banconi are famous in Right to Play circles because of what a group of them did in 1996. There was nowhere to play in Banconi, no flat pitch to kick a ball on or anything. So the kids started moving stones, rocks, and boulders, literally an entire rocky hillside was moved. By hand. By kids-hands. What is there now is a soccer-pitch with a shockingly flat clay surface, with nets. It's well maintained, and very well used. This is an inspirational community!
And the kids we met today were no different. Clara and I enjoyed some pre-class play time with a group of kids varying in age between about 9 and 13 I'd guess. We played a game that incorporates teaching around AIDS/HIV stigma, myths and fallacies using more self-generated trivia. The game also utilized the iconic red ball, and involved plenty of physical activity and silliness.
From there we put on our adult-hats, and met with the some of the community partners which Right to Play Mali has developed working relationships with. There were representatives from the School Board, Community Centres, and a local Women's shelter. We shared a great conversation; they spoke of their challenges, accomplishments, and the importance of RTP activities in their respective community settings. We shared our ideas with them, and had a delicious lunch together.
In the afternoon we visited a training session for new coach trainers. I've never been to one before, so I found it fascinating. We went through a variety of case studies, and identified which human rights violations each one illustrated. The group was proactive, diverse, intelligent and inspired... it was thrilling to see how enthusiastic these community leaders are about implementing RTP programming.
From there we travelled to Gradem, a women's shelter for teenaged girls who have been abused, and have young children. I was worried that it might be a little too much to handle, visually and emotionally, but Clara was super supportive and made everyone feel really comfortable. It was another opportunity to learn and grow, and see why health education and female empowerment are absolute MUST HAVES in all areas of the world. The staff at Gradem are angels. They exude compassion and love. The girls are in such a difficult place, and the little kids are so tiny and vulnerable and cute. The staff educate the young women, teaching them literacy, maternal skills and health. They can learn how to operate, and work towards owning a sewing machine - an excellent way to establish financial independence in their communities, when they are prepared to go home and care for their young child. It's a safe place, it's a caring place, it's a learning place, and these young women were so obviously and graciously thankful for a place like it. It was an uplifting experience, and the clearest affirmation of the absolute necessity of compassion I have ever witnessed.
It was a day packed with perspective-gaining experiential education for me. Tomorrow we're off on a two day trip to Bougouni. If I can't update the blog while there (it's unlikely...) Sit tight and I'll write another on Thursday!
Thanks for stopping by.
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