Genevieve Murphy, Wrangell local Steve Murphy’s niece, shared her experiences last Tuesday about working in Mali in West Africa while volunteering for the Peace Corps from 2011 to 2012.
The main language spoken in Mali is French but many dialects are also spoken in different regions throughout Mali like Bambara or Dogon. Mali is also the country where Blues music originated.
Murphy spent her time with a host family in Sikasso while working at a micro finance bank. While there Murphy joined a large celebration for the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps as well as 50 years of democracy in Mali. During these celebrations people wore big burly costumes that were partly made out of tree branches to keep the crowds under control.
Joking and teasing is a big part of the culture in Mali with all the different tribes.
Murphy’s stay was cut short when Al-Qaeda started stirring up dangerous situations for Peace Corps volunteers necessitating her being evacuated out of the country. Some day Murphy said she would love to return to Mali and continue her work there.
The Peace Corps was established by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 to promote world peace and friendship. Since 1961, there have been over 210,000 Peace Corps volunteers that have served in 139 countries, including Mali.
Genevieve has worked at a few local places including Alaska Island Community Services and the Diamond C Café.
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