The long-awaited MALI MALI shop has finally opened at Hotel Djenne Djenno. Here we have my staff, Marriatt and Mamma (Mamma is the boy!)He is a recent accountancy graduate from Djenne, and she is still studying, so working part time only. There is only one thing one can study here in Djenne if one wants to go on to further education. There is accountancy or nothing, whatever one's aptitudes.! Djenne is therefore overrun with accountants, and even Dembele, my bogolan assistant, is an accountancy student.
They are now going to be putting their accountancy knowledge to some use hopefully, when the money starts to roll in for our new association MALIMALI.
This is what is says on the blurb we give out in the shop:


MALIMALI

MaliMali is a new association, formed with the aim of developing the arts and crafts of Djenne; creating work opportunities for the population and, through the profits made in this shop as well as through other sources, sustaining several projects in and around Djenne in the areas of education, health and environment, for example:

• MaliMali sponsors adult evening literacy classes in Djenne
• MaliMali finances a programme of Trachoma operations in the villages in and around Djenne with health workers from the Djenne Centre de Sante de Reference (Trachoma is a potentially very serious eye disease which can easily be treated through a simple operation and anti-biotics)
• MaliMali is sponsoring a scheme aiming to clean up Djenne: old plastic bags are bought for 50 francs a kilo. A small portion of these plastic bags are used to create merchandise for this shop.

You are invited to help us, either by buying something from this shop or by becoming member of MaliMali:

Price of membership non-national: 10000FCFA
Price of membership Malian: 500FCFA

The bogolan textiles of these clothes are all made in the MaliMali studio just around the corner. Why not pay us a visit- You are very welcome!