Author Archives: Marissa Samake

The past few days have been extremely busy. Much of Saturday was spent visiting Yeah’s family in the big city. We met his aunt who he stayed with when we went to college. To study in Bamako is a privilege offered to the few that have a place to stay while they finish their education. We had lunch with his big brother Nango before we headed to a neighbouring city to meet his uncle. As you get into the city, it seems that the cleanliness jumps a level, the bugs reduce, but the one thing that remains a constant seems to be the greetings and the culture of family. The family remains the central unit here. It does not matter if you go to a strangers house, you are greeted with the same level of homeliness as if you were part of that family. You depart with the same blessings and you share the same meal.

It is this togetherness that keeps a nation like Mali united. Here, most people attempt to have your best interest at heart. When we went to Yeah’s uncles house, they happened to see the few mosquito bites on my hand. They told Yeah this was unacceptable and he should get more things to protect me. That touched me. I don’t think they were saying it because I was a foreigner or even Yeah’s wife. I think the genuine concern for my well-being was evident. Coming home from Bamako, we travelled at night.The one thing that blew my mind, is how no one person believes they own the road. It is one lane on each side. If the person in front of you happens to be going slower, they will actually signal to you and the car ahead if there is an opportunity for you to pass them. From my experiences driving in the US, this is not a concept practiced. 9 times out of 10 the person in front of you would be offended if you passed them and would not even let you pass most times. I can say with some honesty that it irks me to have someone pass me. It is the genuineness of seeking the best for everyone’s welfare that amazes me in this country.

On Monday, we had the opportunity to go get Keanen registered in the French school. He seemed more open and excited when he saw the playground of the school. The school allows for many nationalities and while the core language remains French, it will give Keanen the opportunity to dabble in multiple cultures similar to the melting pot of the U.S. When we registered Kean, the school admin appeared shocked that not speaking French, we would want to have Keanen go to their school. We will need to get a French/Bambara/English nanny to help ease the process. It is essential that we Keanen all the tools to succeed. He is however also a smart kids and I am sure he will have no trouble picking it up.

Today, we spent some time with Bourama and his family. Bourama is Yeah’s youngest brother and the patriarch of the family in Ouelessebougou when Yeah is not in town. He has a growing family and Keanen spent some fun time with the kids. There was a language barrier but fun has not barriers and the kids had a blast. Keanen managed to fall twice and I can see keeping him clean will be a task in itself. Carmen refused to talk with anyone and threw the biggest fit. She is so stubborn and hard-headed. That is definitely something that comes from me! She refused to shake anyones hand while Keanen was busy shaking everyone’s hand twice and even three times 🙂 I also had the opportunity to sit and chat with Dianna. Di is an American and has been in Mali a few times now. She has been here since June and speaks Bambara quite well. I hope with practice I will be able to speak as well as her. She is a PhD student that is working on her dissertation in Mali. She lives in the same compound as Bourama. It will be great to have someone here that I can speak English with but also someone who shares a friendship and culture.

The campaign goes on. Yeah has been blessed to have many local leaders support him. He has had many meetings with several mayors and Presidents of political Parties. He was able to get the support from a well-known mayor here. One person donated 7 motorcycles to help with the travel to neighbouring villages. This will help tremendously. The concern still remains money. Times are tough and hopefully people will continue to donate. Even $10 helps as if a 1000 people each donated 10 dollars it becomes $10000. The financial pressure remains a great obstacle. The message of better education, fair access to healthcare and decentralisation continues to be the focus. Yeah had hoped to go Malabo for the African Union summit where all African leaders would be present, however there was a lack of flights. Disappointing!!! However, everything happens for a reason. Another opportunity will present.

Time flies in Mali. The people and the culture have opened their arms to welcome us. Hopefully we can do some justice and return the warmth. The kids are getting along better, the campaign is deepening its roots and I am getting more comfortable in my new surroundings.

This morning revelation hit. There are so many things in Mali that show a solidarity of many things possible. Last night, with the rains dissipating the bugs once again came in huge numbers. These bugs are attracted to the light. Light given by electricity is only available in the more well off homes in Mali. While these bugs may be considered bothersome to some. they provide a huge source of protein for others. This morning, many women and children came with huge buckets to collect them. In Mali, these bugs are fried and eaten to provide an additional food for poorer families.

Watching for bugs at the door

Keanen directing Carmen where to pretend shoot bugs. Its a water gun( no water)

Kids from village collecting dead bugs

Group collection

The days collection.

The thought that hit home is one man’s bother may be the next man’s joy. Mali boasts many distinct groups and statuses. On the campaign trail, it will be important to speak to all these statuses and try to find a solidarity between them. It isn’t about leftovers, but rather about sharing a common wealth among all families and people.I am confident that Yeah will be able to do this. There are not many people who having lived the comfortable life in America, and would not want to live in a village in Mali. While Ouelessebougou does have electricity, not all people do. When I was here two years ago ( when Yeah was first elected mayor), there was not electricity in many homes and no running water in the village. Today, to see Ouelessebougou come so far with a solar grid that provides much of the electricity and taps throughout the city that have running water, brings to light that change is abound. We take these two things for granted as they are so readily available in the Western world. But to think of the benefits of these things. Light to study by at night. Light to work longer during the night. electricity to power TVs so that people can be educated about their country and how their leaders run them. Water easily accessible to children playing or to people working hard during the day. Mali is a hot country and so this comes as a welcome relief to men and women that usually work out in the fields for the most part of the day.

Meeting to gain support in Bamako

Yeah Samake and Garba Konate.

 Change is abound and that change can spread through Yeah. The campaign is heating up and the launch of Yeah’s new party nears. The meeting above happened a day after we came. People are excited for change to come. The support grows on a daily basis. This is a shout out to people who have seen change happen in their own communities and that have been blessed with unity among their own people to support this campaign. Yes, we may not all be able to vote in Mali. But we have the ability to provide the much-needed revenue to take this message out to all Malians. We also have the ability to spread the word and get other people involved. We need your support. Are you in?

The day started off beautifully. The weather was actually milder. So the kids and I went to the yard. Keanen seems to have an affinity for leaves and I don’t think our papaya trees will survive the next year. Already its missing about 30 leaves. Carmen seems to follow Kean like a little shadow, each time saying” Thats a great idea Keanen”. Those two seem to have created a bond given their new circumstances. Not to say the fighting has stopped. That still happens, usually with Keanen winning the battle and Carm winning the war 🙂

Right before lunch, a storm rolled through and as I sit here typing the rain continues. It was loud for the first two hours and there was a wind that blew open our doors a couple of times. And we have some strong doors. I am glad on days like this that we have concrete on our yard. The kids are getting used to the loud thunder. They did not complain much today. I think it helped that it wasn’t dark outside. I am sure the kids will keep themselves occupied with killing some bugs tonite.

After the rains stopped, we went to visit Yeah’s mother’s elder sister. She is very sick. She was glad to see us and sad that we could not converse with her. It is hard listening to the Bambara around us and not be able to participate or respond. Keanen got a little frustrated today. He thought that they were laughing at him. I could understand that feeling. I felt that way when I first came to Mali in 2006 and somedays it does feel that way when you hear laughing and your name being used at the same time. I understand however it is not meant to be cruel. When we came home I explained to him that they were speaking a different language and he may feel they were talking about him, but that they were not. I tried to tell him to be a little patient. He seemed more eager to learn the language after this.

It didn’t storm in the night, but the bug sure did invite themselves in. 🙂

Yeah had a number of meetings in the main city trying to garner the support of various high-ranking government officials. We finally got our TV hooked up. The kids after breakfast spent a couple of hours watching French cartoons. What better way to have them learn French than to listen to Batman and Iron Man in French. I could not understand a word, but it sure kept the kids entertained. Carmen and I spent our time role-playing as well. Today we did a cooking game. This child has quite an imagination. We baked a cake and a pie 🙂 After lunch, Keanen and I worked on his alphabets. We got all the way to H. We also practiced the capital and small “A”.

The kids both told me today that they missed their friends at daycare. Carmen wanted to know when we were going back. I told her that we weren’t and we could just play all day. That seemed to make her happy temporarily. I think the kids are losing the vacation feel and are wanting the old life. They talk about our previous home in Lehi and about their friends Miles, Quinn, Gannon and Dillan. They also talk quite a bit about their Grandma Marilou and wonder when they can see her. Things are getting a little real for them now. We’ll see how they cope. Kids are resilient and with time I am sure they will get their bearings. Keanen drew a picture of Miss Becky with Miles, Kennedy and Jada. He was so excited about it and wanted to mail it to his teacher. I told him we could do that tomorrow maybe and he should tell his dad when he came home.

The kids spent a few hours killing bugs. That has become a new favorite pastime and has allowed Carm to unleash her ferocity on something not human 🙂 like her brother.

We decided to go for a walk as well. Last night I had a dream about wells. So I showed the kids a couple of wells and told them to stay far away from it. The way Carmen was leaning so she could see the water showed me her fearlessness and willingness to explore a few wells if left to it. Keanen does not show the same bravery. He is my careful soul. When Yeah came home we went to spend some time at the family home. It was a little later at night, so it was much cooler, but not by much. Its been a hot few days. It is difficult to sit with the family and not be able to understand much. I worry the kids will not pick up the language and worse still I may not either. We practiced a few Bamanakan words with the kids today. Keanen picked them up but Carm’s attention span did not allow for much more than one or two words. Time will tell..today was a conflicted day.

Carmen

Keanen

With the late night we all had, the kids slept till 11 am. They seem to think this is a vacation and that soon they will go back to daycare. Keanen even told me he does not want to go to school today. They are definitely enjoying the break from going to daycare everyday. However everyday they talk about their friends. They definitely miss them and have not gauged yet that they will not see them again–at least anytime soon.

It was a hot day today. I can’t believe all that rain from yesterday just disappeared into thin air literally. Walking outside was like walking into a sauna. Kept the kids in. They don’t need an additional tan 🙂 Everything in the village literally slows downs as the sun gets higher. The water levels have risen from the storm of yesterday. It impresses me how Malians cope with the heat but I guess its what you get used to.

After breakfast/lunch of some zaame( rice) with fish, we spent time coloring and making Pokemon cards. Keanen has such a great imagination. His teachers at daycare, Miss Linda and Miss Becky really encouraged him to think big and be creative. Carmen too spent some time coloring with crayons. After that, the kids watched some movies. Carmen got bored midway so she came over and we played doctor patient. Carmen definitely takes pride and enjoyment in hurting people. She gave me shot after shot and told me I would get a sucker if I was a good girl. 🙂

I spent much of my time finishing the blog and just reading email. This was interrupted multiple times by the kids bickering. Carmen is a definite tease. I think she gets that from her dad. lol. She will do everything in her power to make Keanen tick and she is pretty good at it. Keanen usually ends up losing his temper and pinching/hitting her. So he usually goes in timeout while Carmen smiles away. That smile soon turns into loud tearless crying ( seriously this kid has a voice) as she joins her brother in timeout.

When Yeah came home, we went for a walk. The kids were extremely excited. They got to see a few dogs, donkeys, a cat, some chicken and a few goats. Carmen was fascinated by the donkey and kept calling it a camel. Seriously, I should have taken these kids to a zoo a little more often. Keanen thought we were on a safari. We walked a while and visited with people along the way. I think I am getting more comfortable with atleast my greetings in Bamanakan. Malians expect the kids to answer back in Bambara. That will come with time. It was hard enough teaching them their various Malian names. Kean got a kick out of the fact that he has two other Malian names: Tiecourafiq ( Yeah’s dad’s name) and Oumar. Carmen has two as well: Sanamba and Ma. She kept saying Simba like the lion 🙂

All in all an uneventful day.

Today was a late start to the day. However the jet lag really seems to have gotten me and the kids. We went to bed at 1 am the previous day. We all went to visit two families within Yeah’s humongous family. First his uncle and then his third mom who had just lost her son. As we were visiting these families the kids had an opportunity to see a lot of animals. Their excitement knew no bounds as they saw a donkey and then a chicken. Carmen kept calling the chicken a duck. The kids love seeing the animals. From a distance that is. The one thing they do not enjoy is the immense number of bugs. You would think these kids haven’t seen flies before. The first day at a restaurant in Bamako, they had a freak attack and Carmen using her “extremely loud voice” would point out every fly that she saw. Trust me they were over 50 so you can picture that scene. In the villages, the number of bugs multiply by 100. The first night Keanen and Carm pretended they were bug fighters. It was fun to see Keanen lead the chase and Carm imitate every single action. She is his little shadow.

After the visits, we came home to lunch and then Yeah headed out to the main city Bamako for multiple meetings. The gusto with which he has had meetings is crazy. The people here are excited and Yeah in turn is trying to drum up support among fellow mayors. Yesterday was a good day with Yeah getting the endorsement of a mayor of a huge city that has a number of connections.

I also got the opportunity to speak with my mom. It was good to hear a familiar voice in a foreign country, especially one that holds a language barrier and a cultural difference. It has been interesting to see the number of things that we took for granted in the US. For example, in the US, you can just go to your tap and drink the water. Here you drink the water and you could end up with some serious diarrhea, Here we get bottled water. The kids have been drinking it like crazy especially Carmen. It is very hot right now and Carmen seems to be sweating from places I did not know were possible, But they are healthy.

As night approached, it definitely cooled down. But with it came a major storm. The storm was extremely loud. It sounded like God rearranging a lot of furniture. At least that’s what I told Keanen. He thought I was crazy. The kids were extremely afraid. We are not used to a thunderstorm of this magnitude. Then came the winds and the lights went out. This only freaked the kids even more. Initially we got a torch and did some shadow puppets. That kept the kids entertained until the thunder started getting louder. Keanen told me he wanted his “mayor dad” to come home so that he could be safe again. The storm calmed about 11pm. That seemed to be a queue for the bugs to escape the weather and come into the house. This night was a late one as well and it was lights out at 1am.

Family

So my husband Niankoro Yeah Samake, has decided to run to be President of his country. In a country that is 90% Muslim and that holds the title of the third poorest country, Yeah hopes to bring principle based leadership and also give his people a hand up, not a hand out.

So where do I fit into all this? My name is Marissa Samake. Used to be a manager at Convergys in the US, I am now full-time mom, caregiver, nurse,teacher and bug swatter to my two kids: Keanen who is 5 yrs and Carmen who will be 3 soon. We have all come here so that Yeah can focus on his campaign for the next year. Here, I hope to capture my thoughts and experiences over the next year not only on our personal experiences but our encounters on the campaign trail. Where political candidates are raising billions of dollars in the US, Yeah hopes to use grassroots organizations and efforts to speed his victory. He will also need to raise atleast $200000 to launch his campaign next month and $10 million dollars by the end of the year. The first round of elections is in February and the second run off is April.

One day at a time……a journey has begun for the Samake family