Canadian Crossroads International
CCI fosters global understanding by placing Canadian volunteers in the developing world, placing volunteers from developing nations in Canada, and by sponsoring community education programs. Volunteer placements in health, education, agriculture and community development.

CCI is a federally-chartered charitable organization with no religious or political affiliation. Minimum age 19, no maximum (eldest-to-date 72). Participants raise a portion ($2,100CND 1994) of the direct placement costs . CCI covers all basic costs and provides an allowance while on placement. Placements range from four to 12 months. Participants are committed to 200 hours of volunteer service upon return to Canada.

For more information: www.cciorg.ca

duguméné
Stinging flying ants that can crawl through the holes in a mosquito net. Bambara meaning 'earth light' because of the shimmering of their wings when they crawl around on the ground.

griot
In the Bambara and Malinke languages "djeli" means "griot" and also "blood". In their inherited duty and vocation, the djeli are the life-blood of Malian society. As oral historians, storytellers, singers and musicians, they keep the past in living contact with the present by acting as ajudicators, arbitrators, even match-makers. Both men and women practice this vocation. In this way they bind the relations between people and families and in a wider circle the whole of society, and allegorically, into the fabric of the whole human family.

kinkeliba
Kinkeliba is a tea, made by boiling leaves. The bitter medicinal leaves are often blended with a different, milder variety of kinkeliba to make it more palatable. This drink is taken to relieve feaver and as a general internal cleansing.

marabouds
The marabouds are difficult to explain, partly due to the complex character of their profession(s), and partly due to the respect they command as a result. They are holy men, teachers and preachers of Qu'ran (The Koran); they perform the religious rites of Islam. Some of them, at odds with and yet coexisting with their faith, are also practitioners of animist magic: harnessing and controlling forces inherent in the world.

Mefloquine
Mefloquine is recommended for areas where malaria is chloroquine-resistant. Its functioning was still mysterious in 1994, and a wide range of conditions and side-effects (physiological and psychological) are given as pretexts for avoiding or discontinuing it's use.

Many malaria-treatment drugs are also contra-indicated when taking Mefloquine. Treatment with increased dosages of Mefloquine is not recommended without close medical supervision. Treating malaria while on Mefloquine is possible with sulfa drugs (e.g. Fansidar), but these may be difficult or impossible to obtain in country.

Considering Mefloquine? Consider the following. I am not a physician, parasitologist or pharmacologist. I did, however take mefloquine (brand-name "Lariam") as a malaria prophylaxis, and had to abandon it's use due to side-effects.

Ouologem and Tembeli
Dogon founders of Bandiagara. Anda Ouologem lived with his wife Saberi, sister of Nagnabanou Tembeli, at the north of the Yamé River. One day Nangabanou came to find his sister, and stayed to live with her family until Anda's death. Then Nangabanou and Anda's two sons, Badji and Antimbé, crossed the Yamé to where Bandiagara is today. They each built a togou, to live in and hunt from. All three were successful hunters, but as Tembeli was the elder, he received the greatest and best portions from the hunt, and thus it is his togou which is remembered as the first building in the town.