May 7, 2008
Working Women of Mali
Here is a picture of one of the women who work as servers at the little hole-in-the-wall restaurant where I eat lunch on work days. Last Thursday she was a bubble about to burst. On Monday she came to work with a baby strapped to her back and ready to serve up some rice and sauce. I have no idea which day her baby was born or if she decided to perhaps take a day off the job (you know, to give birth and all), but given the dates I saw her working, there is no way she had more than three days off. What an amazing work ethic. Still, you cannot help but know that she is only there so soon because she probably really needs that day's work, especially now that there is one more mouth to feed in the family.
I have not worked a lot with pregnant women over my almost 3 years here in Mali, but I have heard from several of the health sector volunteers (some of whom have even delivered babies), that getting back to some form of work this quickly is actually quite normal. I even heard the story of a woman who gave birth in the morning and spent the evening pounding millet in preparation of that night’s dinner. I am deeply impressed by Malian women every day I am here.
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