What motivated you to leave on a solidarity assignment with Planète Urgence?

I've always been attracted by humanitarian work, but never could get myself to abandon my job, my studies or my life in France. When the La fondation PPR staff came to our office to introduce their initiatives, I immediately decided I wanted to take a solidarity leave. Since I'm not very good at manual work but really wished to share with others the skills and knowledge I have acquired throughout my life, I contacted Planète Urgence. Then I also wanted to be in touch with the populations I feel are the most fragile in developing countries, that is children and women. So that's how I ended up deciding to go to Mali to offer tutorial support.

How did the organisation Planète Urgence help you to prepare for your assignment?

A solidarity leave means that you choose to share the daily life of the local community and offer you help. Given the huge gap between our living conditions in France and in the host country, you must be prepared to live without running water or electricity sometimes. Planète Urgence is really good at making us aware of all this: first you are interviewed to make sure that volunteers are psychologically fit to leave. Then, you attend a two-day seminar where they give you all necessary guidance and advice on hygiene, health (e.g. vaccinations), along with information on the local culture and lifestyle in your host country. When I finally arrived in Mali, I was ready and immediately felt comfortable.

How was your assignment organised in the country?

All practical aspects were really well organised. As a rule, Planète Urgence works jointly with local partners, so nobody from the organisation was on site, but the hotel where I was housed, a ten minute walk from the school where I was teaching, belongs to a partner hostelry group and they sent someone to welcome me at the Bamako airport. I was shown which bus to take to go to Sévaré… and then I was on my own for the adventure! The bus ride took 10 hours through the bush and I was a little worried at the beginning, but then the Malians are really friendly and quickly started conversations with me. So, by the time I arrived, I already knew how to say hello in Bambara, the local language!

What were your relationships with the village inhabitants and with your students?

The people of Sévaré greeted me very warmly and even became very protective with me! It is true that they don't much appreciate "traditional" European tourists, and the scars of colonisation are still sensitive. But they were really touched that I would get involved in the life of the village, and I must say that my days were always very busy! Basically, my assignment was to teach French, which is the official language but since it is not used much in villages, people speak it badly.

Every morning, we used to read through texts and I tried to help them discover other cultures around the world. In the afternoon, I taught computer skills: in the computer centre newly equipped thanks to a grant from an NGO, I showed my students how to use the internet, send e-mails and communicate via a chat room. Then, I met a group of women who had started a business selling fruit jams: they wanted to use the proceeds to support other women and organise anti-AIDS campaigns. So everyday after 5 PM, I helped them cook the jam, and gave them advice on food hygiene and preservation. I also gave them some marketing guidance and helped them understand the importance of making their products look attractive to improve their sales. We even designed advertising posters. I joined them at the marketplaces every weekend and taught them some selling techniques that I have been using at PPR!

Would you be ready to go back?

I truly appreciated my contacts with the Malians: in spite of their poverty, they are always smiling and always prepared to share! I discovered the principles of polygamous life, with some amazement I must say: family is the core of everyone's life, the wives share the daily tasks and live and laugh together! This experience of another culture, based first and foremost on conviviality, is now helping me to put into perspective the small concerns of my daily life.

I stay in touch via Internet, in particular with the school teacher who continues to help the jam-making women and I still provide some advice. I would like to leave again on another assignment, incite other employees to leave as well, and perhaps in a few years get involved in a humanitarian project over a longer period, who knows!