Special Guest!

This week, Kia's mother came in to talk to the 1-2s about Mali, the country in Africa where she lived until she was 14 years old.  She came dressed in a beautiful fabric called Bazin. Her dress was made for her specially when she was in Mali and had lovely embroidery on the collar. Salimata took off her "Moussoro" (head scarf) and we all got to feel some of the "fini" (fabric).  She shared with us that she is from the Barnanan, one of the major ethnic groups in Mali and that she speaks Bamanan, the major language spoken throughout most of West Africa. Kia can understand Bamanan and even speak it! When she took a trip to Mali with her mom, she was speaking fluently in three weeks!

Salimata also brought in some beautiful artifacts from Mali. The kids enjoyed passing around the   jewelry boxes made of "Golo" (leather) and the beaded bracelets stitched to leather. Liam got to try out her beautiful carved Kouroun (stool) which Sali likes to take with her to the beach! Other interesting pieces included a Tchi Wara. Tchi means work (in this case, farming) and Wara means lion. And some baya (waistbeads) that women and girls wear from the time they are born.

Her visit ended with an incredible story about a young girl who came face to face with a lion! Though she was afraid, she kept eye contact with the large cat and slowly backed away and walked home. The lion followed at a distance until she was safely home, as though it were protecting her from other dangers of the wild. The girl in the story was Sali's great grandmother. Her descendants have come to be known as "Diarra Mousso Dein" - children of the lion women.

It was an amazing visit and the students all enjoyed hear about the rich culture of Salimata's homeland. She left a special treasure from Mali with our classes - some colorful cloth with "Sein" (feet) painted in a fun design. The kids have enjoyed using it to decorate the tent!

Enjoy the pictures below. Thank you so much Salimata!