Skye von der Osten

"A COUNTRY SO RICH"

Mali is the second poorest country in the world. The average salary is $4 per day, and the people face many challenges such as poverty and inadequate health conditions. However, Mali is the jewel in West Africa's crown, steeped in history, the Niger River, the Sahara Desert, cliff dwellers, ancient stories and music that redefines African sound.

The country occupies the heart of a territory that once supported Africa’s greatest empires and is rich with historical lore. This history bequeathed to Mali some of its most dramatic attractions – the legendary city of Timbuktu (Tombouctou), whose name has never lost its allure for travellers, and the bustling river port of Mopti are simply two among many.

Mali's population is made up of a number of different peoples, including the Bambara - who are the largest single segment, the Songhai, Mandinka, Senoufo, Fula, and Dogon. The last of these groups, the Dogon, are world-renowned for their artwork,

and a visit to their traditional cliff side villages is a fascinating experience. The majority of Mali's people

are Muslim, and the official language is French but 40 or more African languages are widely used by various ethnic groups. About 80% of the population can communicate in Bambara which is the country’s marketplace language and where tradition sits proudly on the shoulders of these people in a world so far removed from the bustle of the West that one never wants to leave.

There have been numerous droughts and a locust plague that scorched the southern edge of the Sahara Desert near the oases around Kidal in Mali in 2005, settling on cereal crops there and nearby in even more destitute Niger. Yet, through all the daunting obstacles, the people remain resilient, strong and proud. Their faces speak of an inner truth that one can only hope to achieve, and we look on them with wonder at their beauty.

A bar woman waits for customers to arrive in Bamako, Mali, West Africa.
   
A women look on in an under pass in Bamako, Mali, West Africa.
   
Girls spend the afternoon braiding hair and chatting in Bamako, Mali, West Africa.
     
  
A usual day at the goods market in Bamako, Mali, West Africa.
   
A man watches his two daughters at his road side store in Bamako, Mali, West Africa.
   
Night falls on Bamako, Mali, West Africa.
     
  
A bride and her friends get ready to have their portrait taken in Bamako, Mali, West Africa.
   
A Touareg woman cooks a meal on a gas stove in Bamako, Mali, West Africa.
   
US president Barack Obama is very popular in Bamako, Mali, West Africa.
     
  
A boy takes a nap in the shade of his home in Bamako, Mali, West Africa.
   
Advertising bill boards are seen in Bamako, Mali, West Africa.
   
The leader of the Segou traditional band is seen at the Festival sur le Niger in Segou, Mali, West Africa.
     
  
A boat sails on the Niger River in Segou, Mali, West Africa.
   
A woman stands in front of her store in Segou, Mali, West Africa.
   
A Touareg man is seen in Segou, Mali, West Africa.
     
  
A Touareg husband and wife are seen iat the Festival sur le Niger n Segou, Mali, West Africa.
   
A touareg and his camel take a rest in the Sahara Desert, Mali, West Africa.
   
A group of Touareg women are seen at a traditional music circle at the Festival au Desert in Essakane, Mali, West Africa.
     
  
A boy leads his camel at the Festival au Desert in Essakane, Mali, West Africa.
   
A group of Touareg women walk down a dune in the Sahara Desert, Mali, West Africa.
   
The sun sets on the Sahara Desert, Mali, West Africa.
     
  
A Touareg shows markings in the sand in the Sahara Desert, Mali, West Africa.
   
Some Touareg get ready for night fall in the Sahara Desert, Mali, West Africa.
   
Some men are seen in a local shop in Mopti, Mali, West Africa.
     
  
A woman leans over in a boat crossing the Niger river in Mopti, Mali, West Africa.
   
A Touareg men is seen in the street in Mopti, Mali, West Africa.
   
A Peul woman carries goods on her head at the local market in Mopti, Mali, West Africa.
     
  
Some men sell dried fish at the local market in Mopti, Mali, West Africa.
   
A man shows of a picture of some tourist in Mopti, Mali, West Africa.
   
Two women walk home from the fields carrying fire wood in Dogon Country, Mali, West Africa.
     
  
A boy hides behind a wood-carved mask In Dogon Country, Mali, West Africa.
   
Village elders discuss issues in Dogon Country, Mali, West Africa.
   
Some men fix fishing nets in front of their huts in Port de Korioume, Mali, West Africa.
     
  
Villagers gather in Port de Korioume, Mali, West Africa.
   
Some young men play table soccer in Timbuktu, Mali, West Africa.
   
Some children play with old tires in Timbuktu, Mali, West Africa.
     
  
Some boys wait outside a store In Timbuktu, Mali, West Africa.