Ouelessebougou, Mali, Africa

These are houses built of mud. Do they have electricity in Ouelessebougou? How can you tell from looking at the picture? The town only has electricity from 5:00-12:00 p.m. They got electricity in 2001. What do you notice about the roads in Ouelessebougou? Are they the same or different than the ones where you live?

The boy on the right has an old bike tire. The kids in Ouelessebougou roll bike tires with a stick for fun. Can you see the smoke coming from the cooking fire over the wall? About 6:00 every night there is a haze over the town from all of the cooking fires. Do you cook your dinner over a fire? Have you ever cooked your dinner over a fire?

This is what many houses look like in Ouelessebougou. What do they make the roofs with? Why do you think they make the roof in the shape of a cone?

Here is the mosque in Ouelessebougou. Most of the people in the town belong to the Muslim religion and this is the building where they worship. There is a loud speaker in the town which is used to call people to prayer 5 times each day.

This is a picture of the house at the Ouelessebougou-Utah Alliance compound in Ouelessebougou. Most people do not have houses this modern. The door on the right is a small pharmacy where people can buy medicine. How is this house different from the other ones you have seen pictures of from Ouelessebougou?

Donkey carts are used to carry many things in Ouelessebougou. This man is carrying chairs on his cart. How many chairs do you think he has piled on his cart? The men you can see in the background are playing volleyball.

There aren't many cars in Ouelessebougou. Most people travel by motorcycle or bicycle. The man in the purple hat is a teacher at the school in the background. Can you read any of the words printed on the school?

These 3 boys are brothers and one of them is holding their little sister. Which one do you think looks like he might be in 2nd grade?

These goats are being loaded on top of a van to be taken to market. Can you imagine how noisy they were being as they were loaded onto the van? They were NOT happy about it. Do you know how farmers in Utah take their goats to market?

This is a garden near one of the small villages in the Ouelessebougou region. It's important for the people to grow vegetables so they can have a balanced diet. Do you see any sprinklers to water the garden? How do you think they water their plants? They carry water in watering cans from the well to the plants and water each plant by hand.

This man's name is Boubou. He is a teacher. What has he just pulled out of a garden?

This is a sheep that the villagers of Neneko gave some Americans when they visited the village to show they were grateful for the help the Americans gave them. The sheep was later cooked to make a wonderful dinner. Can you find the dinner in the "Daily Life" section of this website? How do you get food where you live? Have you ever killed an animal for your dinner?

Here are some animals resting in the shade. What kind of animals do you see?

Here are some cows on the side of the road. Can you find the man who is herding these cows? Do you have cows in your community? How do people in your community herd cows?

This man's name is Moussa. Can you see the roots of this tree? Part of them grow above the ground! Are you surprised to see these trees in Mali even though it's has quite a dry climate?

Women often carry things on their head. Sometimes they hold on with one hand to balance their load and sometimes they just walk along balancing with no hands to help them at all! Can you balance something on your head and walk at the same time? What is this woman carrying on her head?

On market day the main part of town is very crowded because everyone comes to buy and sell. How many cars can you see?

These are the children who go to school in the village of Neneko. What colors are on the flag of the country of Mali? How many teachers are there at this school? (Hint: Look for the tall people. But one of the teachers is kind of short. Don't forget him because he's the principal!)