Festival in
the Desert and School
Garden Project - 2010
Ring in your new year with a sense of purpose and feeling of global rhythm.
Each year we collaborate with Women Worldwide an organization helping women and children around the world on a trip
to Mali, West Africa for the annual Festival in the Desert.
The Western world has long been captivated by African music, particularly the music of Mali.
Ali Farka Toure, Salif Keita, and Amadou & Mariam are some of Mali’s most well known musical exports.
Even if you don’t instantly recognize the names, the music will be familiar. Often
described as the world’s most remote music festival—it is an hour drive from Timbuktu to the oasis of Essakane—the
Festival in the Desert is a joyous mix of mix of traditional, modern, and Western music. In nomadic cultures, gatherings are
essential to the way of life. At a gathering such as the Festival, there will be trades made, differences
settled and marriages arranged, the days will be full of traditional Malian games and camel rides, the nights filled with
the music of the world.
Before the festival, we will work on a volunteer
project in the fascinating Dogon Country. The 150-kilometer-long sandstone escarpment has served as home
to the Dogon people, believed to be one of the oldest surviving African cultures. We'll donate and plant fruit trees at a
school garden. The children will raise and sell the fruit to earn money to buy school supplies. It's a joyous gift that keeps
giving.
2010 Land Price: $4,995 per person (double occupancy)
Small Group Surcharge:
If less than 12 travelers, add $250 per person
