
Unfortunately we no longer operate projects in Mali. We do however, have excellent placements in Ghana and Tanzania.
In the middle ages, the Kingdom of Mali was
the epicentre of a great empire that stretched over most of West Africa.
For many centuries Mali was a rich and prosperous nation that controlled
the lucrative trans Saharan trade routes and the important transport
of the valuable commodities of gold, salt and latterly slaves.
However, this stranglehold of the trade routes was
finally broken by the European traders, the French annexing the
country in the late 19th century. Since then Mali has become poorer,
one of the poorest countries in Africa.
However, Mali’s wealth lies in other places.
This dusty Saharan country is home to unique mud architecture, most
notably the stunning Mosques at Djenné and Timbuktu, and
the eerie, bizarre settlements of the Dogon country, dwellings hand
carved into rocky escarpment.
Part of Mali’s attraction is that it’s
not an easy country. It’s not easy to get to and it’s
not easy to travel around. Every journey becomes an epic odyssey,
be it taking a river cruise in traditional wooden hulled canoe down
the River Niger to trekking on camels across mile after mile of
sandy dunes and the Sahara Desert to the historic and mysterious
Timbuktu. Each trip becomes an epic adventure.
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