Following up on her first post “From Madison to Mali” SERRV Board member Julie Danis shares more about the Fair Trade Fund sponsored trip to Mali. Across the next few days of diary entries you’ll read what Fair Trade is like in practice:

Mali Proverb: One who puts on his shoes and comes to visit you is better than you.

Banyine Bora, boutique manager, laughing girlfriend, and madame with fistula disease taught me that proverb yesterday during an interview about her life and time at the Delta Survie Center for the Mesdame des la fistula. It’s important to Banyine that the sign above her boutique and on the gate of the center mentions that the artisans who make the jewelry and textiles sold in the boutique are suffering from fistula disease. A year or so ago, some international visitors/donors wanted to remove the sign and the ladies protested. “Don’t take down our sign. It is very good for us. It makes people attentive to our problem,” Banyine said.

Jean Johnson, Keith Recker and I, Julie Danis, have spent the last four days at the Delta Survie Center working through an agenda of training and product development. We have been assisted by our translator, Brahima, a master of French, English and at least 3 or 4 of the tribal dialects in Mali. He gamely explains product costing, strategic planning, and consumer trends. The women have accepted him as part of our team and willingly tell the most intimate details of their medical histories to him so I can collect their stories for retelling.

Day One:

We met the staff at the Center and I succumbed to the after effects of too much Africa – either sun or food – and went back to the hotel, Il Ya Pas de Probleme (It’s Not a Problem – well, sometimes it is!) Jean and Keith reviewed the agenda with Delta Survie’s director, Ibrahim (Bara), his right hand man, Moumar, and the accountant, Dre. In the afternoon, Jean and Keith continued bead shopping with Solo, the center’s bead supplier and good friend. Turns out that Solo is the brother of one of the Center’s assistants, Fanta.

Day Two:

The ladies gathered in the main hanger which they had washed and dusted for just for us. They are dressed in beautiful colors, most wearing a head cover or scarf that would make Aretha Franklin’s inaugural hat maker envious. Several have beaded scarves covering their heads. The young children accompanying their mothers to the Center dot the fringes of the chairs, curious as to what these toubabs (white people) are doing. They smile, wave. Some are shy, others want to shake our hands while offering a hello in their native tongue. Two little boys, Ba and Baja, dressed in identical shirts, attend most of our presentations.

Unfortunately, the technology, didn’t work in the newly cleaned area and we had to move. The Center has a new electronic presentation board that can be used as a screen and white board. However, the electricity wasn’t powerful enough to make it through multiple extension cords. Before we break for lunch, we hear the first of many thanks. Thanks for coming. Thanks for the attention. Thanks for being interested. Thanks for sharing. And these thank yous are from the women and the staff. It’s a bit overwhelming since we haven’t really done anything but show up – but showing up, I come to learn is important.

The afternoon is spent with staff, previewing Keith’s trend report. It’s difficult for most of the women to be active the whole day. They are in different stages of recovery from surgeries and can’t sit in one place for long and often need to lie down and rest. Also, they must cook, clean, watch children and more.

As often happens, we learn when we think we’re teaching. During the trend presentation the staff and assistants tells us which colors are important in their lives and for their celebrations. It appears that blues, from light to indigo, play a role in Malian life, from marking a newly circumcised boy to doing harm to your enemy. Some tribes like red; others think it means blood and bad things to come. White is a religious color, worn by those who have completed the Hadj (a pilgrimage to Mecca) and also worn by a bride on her honeymoon.The traditional colors of Africa are black, yellow, red and brown.

Day Three:

The women arrive this morning in very celebratory dress – their best and finest. And they are wearing their favorite jewelry, as Keith asked them to do yesterday. We want to see what appeals to them, what speaks to their lives, what makes them happy. Keith is going to present the trend presentation again and asks his audience to indicate if they like something they see with an “Ahhh” and something they don’t like with an “Ohhh.”

The trend presentation is primarily pictures, which is good for the illiterate audience. Keith demonstrates how different colors can set different moods and how product development can be influenced by tradition, nature, celebration and recycling. The women do respond – with ahh and ohh and clapping and with clicking. A clicking noise made in the back of the mouth is similar to saying, “Yes, I agree.”

During the afternoon Jean does a yeoman’s job with taking the staff through a project assessment and Keith starts training the assistants in new product design. This is a young non-governmental organization with much in place in terms of accounting and finance and less in place of plans: marketing, business, etc. They are eager to become more professional and are specific in what they think they need to grow and become better. We believe we can help them with a basic marketing plan right away and some sales help also. Jean has provided them with the beginning training on costing and pricing products. As always, there is a lot to do but Delta Survie is run by a strong executive with vision and passion. I expect things will be done.