Old pirates, yes, they rob I;
Sold I to the merchant ships,
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit.
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the Almighty.
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly.
Won’t you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
‘Cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs,
Redemption songs.

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our minds.
Have no fear for atomic energy,
‘Cause none of them can stop the time.
How long shall they kill our prophets,
While we stand aside and look? Ooh!
Some say it’s just a part of it:
We’ve got to fulfill the Book.

Won’t you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
‘Cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs,
Redemption songs,
Redemption songs.
—
/Guitar break/
—
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our mind.
Wo! Have no fear for atomic energy,
‘Cause none of them-a can-a stop-a the time.
How long shall they kill our prophets,
While we stand aside and look?
Yes, some say it’s just a part of it:
We’ve got to fulfill the book.
Won’t you have to sing
These songs of freedom? -
‘Cause all I ever had:
Redemption songs -
All I ever had:
Redemption songs:
These songs of freedom,
Songs of freedom.

In steps my journey brought me back home. From Amsterdam to Tripoli to Bamako. The first aircraft filled with tourist and interesting people, each in it’s launch of a new discovery. Or like me on my way home. Yet it felt like, as the trip progressed, I went back once again to a world which had to be rediscovered. A language with sounds like it was the first time I heard them and the social life that I had to get used to again. It wasn’t like I felt uncomfortable, rather excited and on adventure. A adventure that didn’t found it’s resting point yet.

At the airport I saw that my first recognition site was waiting for me. Siaka my best friend who always picked me up on arrival. As always, I look forward to this moment after saying goodbye to my beloved family and friends. As horrible the moment of goodbye always is, the moment of encounter brings some peace into the feelingsometime bizarre choices that I make every time. I now know that the moment of departure will always be the same and I will have disordered thoughts like I’m a  selfish loner who can leave everything behind like it is nothing. I know that some people do take me responsible for their pain of not having me around but I can not express how difficult this is for me. The adventure that I fallow has a goal, a goal that I know can change some life’s and  I am helping  with the establishment of a undeveloped country.

My planes feel fresh again and I know that I can do it! Even with little money in my pocket. Only my motivation and security created by “The Course in Miracles”, Gary Renard his books and the “Secret” that I see as my guide. The quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase” gives me courage. There is nothing that I can’t achieve if I just dream, believe and act on what comes on my path. I discovered all of this in relation with my ex-boyfriend who I cherish dearly. Without him all of this wouldn’t be possible. Without him I did not learn to read those books and did not learned to live the life that I’m living.

Wish me luck …

How do people here still keep up? Remain strong under such circumstances. Without any sense of joy, without hope and not even the energy to think about their future. Simply not even the time due to their daily stress. The worry they have is feeding their children, providing the necessary vitamins. Not surprising that most Malians are no taller then 1.60cm and a shortage of brain cells that will amaze you. The care of diseases and whether the mandatory notebook and pen can be purchased at the beginning of the school. Without that they are denied in school. Luckily, paying the yearly school price isn’t that much, but everyone understands that as a teacher you can’t expect a good salary. Sometimes they are not even paid. Living between worlds where people in one country go to court because the hedge of the neighbors is placed 10cm in someone else’s garden, others do not even get the chance to ever see a hedge, because nobody in the district has money to buy one. Less chance that they will be angry if the hedge is on their land. They will believe that Allah is with them because they finally have a hedge. The difference are so extreme that it’s difficult to comprehend. We can’t really call the miserable tea drinking habits of young people here a great development and they don’t really learn to have norms and values from the elders anymore. Anyone who has some education leaves the country after graduation! Who will be left to build this country…

The most special thing about this country is that everyone (in the the north a bit less, but still) remains socially and always friendly. In terms of the north I certainly do not blame them because of the drought and the desert, but even there you will not soon be snared at because of all the grumpiness caused by there misery. The question of what is so much fun about this country I can’t really answer, because the answer is certainly not fun, but me only being here helps them.

To choose between two countries where one is buried in poverty and misery, but with a beautiful culture and Social life with the capital S, or a country rich with it’s misery that is all about success and property? Materialism is the last thing we really need for a sustainable world and often have our most blissful moments in our lives at a location in the countryside with a magnificent view. See yourself on the beach in Cancun or on a mountain top in the Himalayas! Much things we don’t need in those moments.

Walking the streets here with a smile sometime is an art, yes! and very necessary to! Learn them to dream even more. We think that we have to teach a country like Mali all the West’s greatness, but believe me, vice versa as well!

Mali is perhaps one of the worlds toughest countries to life in, but I’m awfully happy here!

Oh mon Dieu! Rain, rain and more rain! It started in the morning and it was pouring from the sky. First, I thought my flowers and plants were very happy, but that even they had enough after an hour or two. Quickly found out that the river behind the Center, which then squeezes through the city, was over flooding, scattered over the roads and fields and even invaded homes. We could see very well on the rooftop of the Center that it was getting worse and the river was making more enemies while a few days before they were good friends with her. It was hard to comprehend what was going on. At the time that Siaka (best friend, driver of the Center and brother of Abou) came back and told us that he had been in the water up untill his waist to safe a woman and her baby, I understood that then also the situation was over flooding. When Abou arrived with the story that there were predictions on the radio and television about floods in Sikasso, we knew.

About, before muddy roads now little rivers we walked home. The rain had taken it’s break and the situation was getting more calm.

I’m curious how “wet” we will wake up tomorrow …

Flood Part 2.

Flood Part 1 fortunately only had a little wet sequel in which there was only a little rain for a few minutes. I went to bed with the idea that tomorrow I had to look for my shovel so I could help my neighbors with filling bags of clay and could protect them from the water. But it was OK, and we were enjoying the nice weather with the sun on our faces. Now only the question, how many people are homeless or in danger for walls to collapse…

Happy, but disordered.

Started riding today is not totally without reason. Unfortunately I have to realise again that living in this country is not easy and sometimes horrible! The poverty that is the cause of all  problems, we already know, but the care that it needs is another story. A lot of people come here to participate in a project for a couple of weeks and without these people, this country was already sunk in to the mud, but I realise that this country needs more help then that. If you really want to make a change, you have to get close to the youth, make them see that life can be beautiful and that it’s very important to maintain a positive attitude in spite of a painful and sometimes loveless life. Most children get their affection in the form of a smack or if the are lucky, angry sermon as they do something wrong and thus learn that beating is the best solution! Questions and answers are not often heard, and especially giving positive attention to your child knowing that it usually decreases the child’s aggressive behaviour. I think it’s clear that the youth needs our focus and not the adults since they are already scarfed because of their youth.

I really hope that Mali can see a change in it’s success.

Fortunately the Centre offers a solution for us to actually life next and with the youth, and we can learn how to collaborate and help the Malian population and it’s culture so we can create that change that we are looking for!

I believe the day’s are not yet completed as we want, but we make enough progress to know that we are doing good.

In my opinion it was and still is a beautiful country witch such a rich culture that is far too valuable to be neglected and despite her misery and negativity we can not loose sight of our goal!!