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Problems encountered
First of all, there was a lack of motivation among participants - possibly due in part to the lack of remuneration. In Mali, in addition to paying for transportation and food, people generally receive a per diem each time they participate in a meeting or class - something which serves to motivate participation. Being unable to pay students (and not being at all in agreement with this practice!) the rate of absent ism was significantly high. Participants also gave priority to personal and social events - baptisms, marriages, Ramadan, CAN, etc. An example regarding CAN (Coupe d'Afrique des Nations - the African soccer championships) illustrates my point: schools closed on the day of the first victory for the Malian team! In these conditions it has been difficult to stick to the planned schedule..
Additionally, even while participating in training, NGOs could not stop their regular activities - which resulted in numerous interruptions (scheduling conflicts, phone calls, meetings, unexpected visits, etc.)
Finally, knowledge is intimately linked to hierarchy and power here. Twice the directors of NGO's asked that there be a training for themselves only (!). Often I was asked to sign receipts for money I did not receive, or give certificates for training I did not give. I also encountered the reality of the African extended family - often I was asked to train friends or family of NGO member - without regard for the schedule or that they did not work in an NGO.
For my part, it took some time to adapt to the Malian way of learning and acting - both of which are completely different from what I am used to. Initiative and motivation are - in my opinion - sadly lacking. Students I taught had no difficulty whatsoever in mimicking the series of operations I demonstrated and their ability to memorize was disconcerting (to my great astonishment, they learned by heart the entire contents of exercises, including the data in Excel spreadsheets, and two or three days later could reproduce a graph using exactly the same numbers ). However, they showed great difficulty in applying their lessons in a different context. Similarly, they did nothing without direction. If a dialogue box appeared on their screen, even if all they had to do was click OK, few could do this on their own.
In summary, the major difficult was not understanding that the students were not understanding!! After a three hour class on the Internet and search engines, it was not unusual that I would be asked what the Internet is used for! I also found it difficult to work without an office or a computer - instead squatting in offices of those absent.
Implemented solutions
I overcame the lack of motivation by informing students that I would provide certificates for those who actively participated in class. I refused to do anything which did not seem honest - signing false receipts or giving certificates for those who did not participated, etc.). I learned to adapt to the Malian rhythm - adjusting the workload to more realistic levels, acquiring a great flexibility in schedules, and spacing the classes apart so as to not throw off one group if the previous class ran a day or two longer. I also adjusted my approach to teaching by getting students to work in teams and asking those who understood the exercise to explain it to those who did not - something which helped keep everyone's interest.
Key impressions
I learned a lot - probably more than I taught. I gained a greater confidence in myself and no longer find it difficult to talk in front of a group. I also developed strategies to make teaching more interactive and effective.
- Jennifer Cartwright | 
