The morning starts around 5 am. The wives get up and start wood fires to cook breakfast for their large family. They need to buy wood and carry it by hand to their home the day before in order to have the wood ready.
There is one nyuegen, or bathroom. This is 4 concrete walls, no roof, one open door, and a hole in the ground. One at a time, people fill a salidaga with water. I looks like a tea kettle, but is made of plastic. They use the water to clean themselves after they finish their business. There is no running water. The water comes from a well in the concession. Most people in Africa do not use soap to wash their hands afterwards. Western medicine would have us believe that several diseases can be spread as a result.
The concession is the family “living room”. It is the outdoor area framed by the mud buildings that provide the sleeping quarters for the family, as well as the cuisine, or kitchen, out building. Tamba has a room in one building. Each wife has a separate room in another building. Custom has it that Tamba 'visits' these rooms alternatively. This is very private and I never see any evidence of it. The children share 3 rooms in another building. Each child shares a room with several others. Most children do not have beds, but rather sleep on mats on the concrete floor. Although mosquitoes are ever present, most people do not have mosquito nets. They are too expensive. Malaria all too often results. Infant mortality due to malaria is high. Malaria also causes many sick days for adults, visits to hospitals, and occasional deaths in adults.
Tamba's family is Moslem. He, his wives, and children over 15 who desire to, pray 5 times per day. They unfold a prayer mat, face Mecca (east in this part of the world), and go through a series of prayers and postures (standing and prostrate).
During the day, Tamba goes to work as an English teacher at the local high school (lycee). His 2 wives are busy doing laundry, preparing meals for the family of 11 plus guests. Tamba is very generous and regularly feeds beggars, friends (including me), and even a soldier who temporarily lives in Markala. Also, his wives prepare small biscuits to sell in the street in order to earn more money.
When a guest arrives in the concession (living room), a child automatically brings a chair. If all the chairs are being used, the youngest occupant loses their seat to the guest.
Meals are served to guests and Tamba first. A table is first placed in front of them, then the food is placed on the table. Guests to not have to move at all to eat, or to clean up. Used dishes are picked up by the women within minutes of finishing. Food that is not finished is then passed to the elder children, who are served next. Their food is served in a big bowl, and is place on the ground. The children gather around and eat with their hands. The women and small children eat last. They also sit around a bowl on the ground and eat with their hands. After their meals, each person thanks God and the elders in the group by saying 'A Baraka'.. In Tamba's family, this means that all other people would parade up to us and thank God for their meal. We acknowledge their thanks to God with a verbal response, 'a baraka ally' (spelled phonetically).
At about 2 pm each day, everyone gathers around the radio to listen to a Malian story. Many people listen to these, and it appears to be a good way to keep alive a historic part of their culture. However, in the evening, the television comes on. They wait until evening, otherwise they cannot see the screen because of the glare of the sun. Remember that they watch the television in their living room, the outdoor concession. Very popular programs are soap operas from South America that are dubbed in French. The programs depict very rich latinos in expensive homes & cars, and very skimpy dress. This does not at all reflect Malian values. Some of the elders are concerned about the influence of this programming on their youth.
After the soap operas, local news comes on. Very many local gatherings are filmed and broadcast. There is essentially no international news, and there is very little advertising. During the World Cup soccer games, intermissions would occur with a couple of advertisements for laundry soap and toothpaste. The remainder of the approximately 20 minute intermission was occupied by local commentary on the game. Whereas in the west, the entire 20 minute intermission was occupied by advertisements for fancy cars, beer, and similar items.
Children in Tamba's family play with toys made out of sardine cans pulled by strings (simulating cars or trucks), and by kicking empty plastic bottles around. The children are happy. As a matter of fact, everyone in Tamba's family appears happy.
Thank you Tamba for being my friend.