Since I am doing RAFT out of order, I choose to focus on “Farewell” next. Since I am not permanently leaving Mali, this goes a little differently. I would like to highlight some goodbyes that have been part of my life already due to people leaving Mali.
Smee- Real name: Elias.
The best way to describe Elias is "on the go”. He came to Mali to work with a family from Sweden and be a tutor for their oldest child who needed to complete course work from Sweden. It was fun to have him around and he was a great addition to our food club- his specialty? Desserts- man, he loves to make cake, cookie, and of course “apple pie with vanilla sauce”. He is now back in Sweden working this summer with children and youth that are mentally disabled. In the fall he will start taking university classes.
Carolina-
Carolina came to my class one day to share about her country Brazil
Carolina moved into our apartment about a month after I arrived and since she is from Brazil, we could only communicate in a broken English/Spanish combination. Over the year, however, she picked up a lot of English and became a great friend. She is a doctor and was in Mali to work on a program teaching mothers-to-be how to stay healthy and take care of their children. She also incorporated a lot of art into her classes and I was able to attend a meeting on Saturday afternoon as they were making dolls. She is now back in Brazil finishing her residency.