PROGRESS has arrived in Djenné in the form of the BIM, Banque Internationale du Mali
which opened on the 28th of May.
Before there was only the Kondo Jigima, a sort of savings co-operative, run by a motherly local lady of ample proportions. The Kondo Jigima is totally unincumbered by the trappings of a modern office such as computers, fax- machines or even telephones.
Monsieur Lazare, above, is the Directeur of the BIM in Djenné. There is a fierce competition between the BIM and the BDM (Banque du Développement du Mali), my bank in Mopti.
I have now opened an account with the BIM in Djenné, for convenience- I clearly need a bank here, rather than in Mopti, a day's journey away. So I have made a demand for a transfer of money from the BDM to the BIM.
If my pal M. Guindo, the bank manager in Mopti (see entries Nov. 23 and May 25) had been around all would probably have been fine. But alas, he is on holiday. And the staff at the BDM have been most childish, pretending not to receive my demand for a transfer, leaving the telephone off the hook so as not to have to speak to me or Monsieur Lazare and using every known trick not to have to part with the money I sent them recently.
But we have faught back and Inshallah, the money should be there this afternoon, so Keita can go to Bamako and buy a generator to sort out the electricity problem at Hotel Djenné Djenno.
Oh, and what you see in the foreground of the picture is my foot in plaster. I didn't want to publish this, because my mother is going to be too worried. But here it is:
Xaloc and I went riding the other day, he stumbled in a short trot only, and fell over, then rolled on to me. I will be in plaster for a couple of weeks. It is not serious, just annoying.
Speak soon, must rush, or hobble rather....