Pen and Paper

As my first post indicated, cell phone signals in rural Mali are sporadic at best. During our travels in West Africa we were frequently without access to this blog, thus the delay between posts. In the absence of technology we resorted to tried and true methods – pen and paper. The next several installments (which will be posted over the coming weeks) were written while traveling in Mali and Burkina Faso and will be posted as written. Though our trip has come to an end, I hope these stories and reflections share some glimpse of the intensely moving human experience which has touched (and continues to shape) my heart and mind.

One such story:

The woman at right is a member of the Guireyaawés Federation, an collection of 130 sesame producing associations belonging to over 6500 sesame farmers in rural Mali, near the town of Koro.

Lutheran World Relief has worked with the farmers to help them grow, process and export organic sesame. In this part of the world harsh weather and market conditions conspire to make farming a constant challenge. Yet through access to credit, literacy training, new farming equipment and a host of other investments, these farmers are not only growing, but thriving.

Literally translated, Guireyaawés Federation means "those who want to move ahead." And the people of Koro truly are moving ahead, trusting in themselves and the investment required to grow organic sesame. After two years of work with LWR they are seeing the fruits of their labor with a selling price for their crop 50% higher than typical sesame sales.

For today, we move ahead to another community and soon another country, remembering the farmers of the Guireyaawés Federation and thankful for the genuine engagement this work with them produces.

For more about the Guireyaawés Federation, check out LWR's newsletter from August 2007, pages eight and nine.