Pays Dogon Interpretive Signs & Journal Mali Mission Report September 20, 2010—October 8, 2010
Lauren Chitty Charles Lindemuth Mona Spargo Africa Programs Graphic Artist Public Relations US Forest Service US Forest Service US Forest Service [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 202 273-4728 907 743-9500 907 743-9572 Table of Contents
List of Acronyms ------2 Acknowledgements ------3 Summary------4 Introduction------5 Key Issues, Findings, Recommendations ------8 A. Issue: Tourism dollars in the Villages------8 B. Issue: Increasing tourist visitation to Pays Dogon villages------9 C. Issue: Ensuring tourism-generated village funds are properly managed ------10 D. Issue: Increasing public familiarity of Pays Dogon------10 E. Issue: Expanding tourism opportunities in and around Pays Dogon------11 F. Issue: Ensuring Pays Dogon does not become overrun by tourists ------12 G. Issue: Written and electronic information on the Pays Dogon------12 H. Issue: Pays Dogon Visitors’ Center ------14 I. Issue: Tourist expectations------15 J. Issue: Prices for lodging, food, guided tours, and activities------16 K. Issue: Adequate accommodations and food for tourists ------17 L. Issue: Sign Markers for Villages ------17 M. Issue: Village Signs ------18 N. Issue: Printing of the journal ------19 O. Issue: Sanitation ------20 P. Issue: Availability Pays Dogon Journal ------20 Q. Issue: Focus on tourism when basics needs are still not covered------21 R. Issue: GSTA Project should “close the loop” with all villages contacted ------22 S. Issue: Communication for tourists in Bandiagara------22 Conclusions------24 Appendix A—Calendar Itinerary------25 Appendix B—Preliminary Scope of Work------27 Map ------32 Appendix C—Contacts ------35 Appendix D—Symbols & Locations ------42 Appendix E—Screen Capture .kmz file ------44 Appendix F—Journal Printing Specs & Quote------46 Appendix G— QR Code Information Sheet ------47 Appendix H— Campement Price Lists ------50 Appendix I— Sign Materials ------55
Pays Dogon Interpretive Journal & Signage Sept-Oct 2010 Mission Report 1 Acronyms
AMCFE Association Malienne Pour la Conservation de la Faune et de l’ Environment AED Academy for Educational Development DNEF Direction Nationale des Eaux et Fôrets GSTA Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance MEP Mali Elephant Project NGO Non-governmental Organization (usually one doing aide work) OMATHO Office Malian du Tourisme et de l’Hotellerie USAID United States Agency for International Development UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization USFS United States Forest Service
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Acknowledgements
The USFS International Program Team would like to thank our Malian hosts. We received excellent welcome and hospitality from our hosts at GSTA and Solimar International. Your forethought and attention was continually evident before our arrival and during our time in- country.
We extend special thanks to Barri Diakite and Shawndra Herry for their pre-work in setting up the village meetings and personal care for our comfort and well-being. Thanks is also extended to them for the opportunities they scheduled to add insight into Malian life and also afford us unexpected exposure to the rich culture of Pays Dogon.
Again Barri should be thanked for providing us with excellent transportation around Mali’s main towns and back roads. Moustafa Maiga was a great chauffer and the care he took for our comfort cannot go unmentioned.
Without our excellent translator, Brahim Ouologuem, much would be lost. He translated, shared his personal stories and gave us an unembellished insight into the people, culture and agriculture of the Pays Dogon. His interest in the project and untiring capacity for answering our questions is much appreciated. As is his continued involvement in the project and our lives.
Thanks to the many guides and campement owners who shared their knowledge and insights with us. Thank you lastly to the people of the Pays Dogon-their lives and culture have made a lasting impression on us, and how we conduct ourselves in the rest of our lives.
We appreciate this opportunity to participate in this challenging and rewarding mission, and extend thanks to our home unit in Alaska and to the USFS International Program Office in Washington, DC.
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Executive Summary
The overall objective of this USFS technical assistance mission is to improve the tourism experience in the Pays Dogon in an effort to both ensure sustainability of tourism in this area, as well as bring more dollars into the villages of the region. The products and recommendations will create a more authentic experience for the visitor, increase village revenue and preserve the culture and environment of the region.
A team of three USFS technical experts worked closely with GSTA and Solimar personnel in- country for three weeks. The team met with elders and community members of a number of Pays Dogon villages to gather cultural, historical, and site specific information on the villages and people of the area. Information and experiences gleaned will be transformed into an interpretive sign for each village visited and a Journal that holds each village’s story and information pertinent to travelers to Dogon Country.
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Introduction & Scope of Technical Assistance
Tourism development is one of the Malian government’s top priorities. In a country that has more than half of the population living below the poverty line, the government and people of Mali are looking for ways to diversify their economy and help raise the standard of living for individuals. The country has three World Heritage Sites and is seeking to increase visitation to these areas, while preserving the cultural and environmental surroundings.
The USFS has provided previous support to the Pays Dogon GSTA activity by conducting training in visitors’ center development and management, visitor education, resource protection, and customer service in the Bandiagara Cercle. They have also worked directly with Mali’s Direction Nationale des Eaux et Fôrets (DNEF), providing technical support in the area of natural resources management planning. Additionally, USFS is contributing to sustainable ecotourism and improved local livelihood development in the Gourma Region of Mali.
Based on prior USFS work in Mali and the Pays Dogon, our assistance was requested to help with the next phase of development and implementation for sustainable tourism in the Pays Dogon. Solimar International, one of the implementing partners of the Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance / Pays Dogon (GSTA/PD) program, is a tourism development consulting firm with the mission of helping businesses, travelers, and destinations develop and connect to sustainable tourism experiences that support environmental conservation, preserve cultural heritage, and enhance the lives of local residents. One of Solimar’s main focuses through the GSTA/PD program is utilizing tourism as a tool for linking biodiversity conservation and awareness to economic benefits for the Dogon people.
This mission was intended to focus on villages in Pays Dogon that currently receive substantial tourist “traffic,” and create a more profound experience for visitors. The primary products of this mission will be signage highlighting history, traditions and points of interest within the villages, and interpretive information to be included in a Pays Dogon Journal. The USFS team interacted with local authorities and keepers of oral traditions to glean local insights to be highlighted in interpretive materials for tourists, which will contribute to a more authentic and profound exposure to villages visited.
The US Forest Service team will create village-specific interpretive segments of a Pays Dogon Journal. Each village segment will provide 2 – 3 pages of interpretive information about the site, and also provide a place for visitors who purchase the Journal to make their own notations about the villages they visit. There will be a spot on each village page for a stamp to be placed, that is emblematic of each village visited. The stamp is intended to help respective villages generate additional tourism income to be kept in a common account monitored by a village committee, and used at the village’s discretion on projects that will benefit the entire village. Our USFS team will design these stamps based upon interaction with and guidance from villages visited. The final version of the Journal will be assembled by Solimar International, and will likely also include a broad overview / background section about Pays Dogon and introduction to the region.
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Interpretive signage / plaques will be placed along roads and trails. Signs will respect Malian laws and culture. The USFS team will offer recommendations regarding ways to integrate signs into the natural environment utilizing local products to the extent possible. The USFS will produce plans for one sign / plaque per “target village” as deliverables of this technical assistance mission.
Examples of information sought from the village meetings which will inform the USFS deliverables include: • Architectural highlights: togunas, etc. • Significance of different masks • Sacred sites and belief systems: mosque, crocodile pond, waterfall • What is a Hogon? And whether there is one in a particular village • Who founded the village or town and around what year? • Important historical points or figures • What are the most common last names in the village and what are joking cousins? • Is there a village totem? Are there any features of nature that hold particular significance, unique to the village? • Is the village known for any particular handicrafts? (For example, Endé is highly regarded for its indigo and bogolan.) • Local medicinal plants • Traditional foods • Are there any traditional ceremonies / celebrations? When do they occur, and what do they signify? • A word or two of greeting in the local language • Unique stories about the village that are not typically found in guide books such as Lonely Planet. *Of note: Any tourism products that will be produced, including the Pays Dogon Journal and signage, should be vetted by Solimar International and/or Academy for Educational Development (AED) with communities for accuracy and to ensure cultural appropriateness.
Deliverables: • Content collected on a village-by-village basis, which will be used for the Pays Dogon Journal, as well as the village signs / plaques. • Design an interpretive sign / plaque for each of the respective towns and villages visited with appropriate layout, design, color palette, etc. Each village’s sign / plaque will serve as a point of orientation for visitors, and should be created keeping in mind the local environment for both the sign, itself, and the materials used to mount the sign. The
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signs will be produced using the USFS-designs / prototypes following the completion of this mission; production will be overseen / handled by Solimar International. • In consultation with village leadership, identify strategic placement of signs within villages. • Create interpretive village-specific segments of a Pays Dogon Journal for target villages. (Where possible, other “segments” will also be created, possibly to include “points of interest en route” between villages.) • Designs for stamps that are emblematic symbols of the villages. These rubber stamps will be used to mark a place in the Journal that corresponds with the village. It is hoped that visitors will pay a small fee for the stamp, thus providing a small way of generating income for the village. • Produce a trip report to be shared with GSTA and Malian partners. (This will be delivered after the completion of the mission.) The trip report should include the following items: o Action items and recommendations of additional ways to enhance tourists’ experiences beyond the creation of an interpretive Pays Dogon Journal and signage; this might include the promotion of handicrafts, availability of food and water, ways to better link tourism businesses/products within the various villages to the market, the sort of assistance needed by tourism businesses/products to improve the services offered. o Additional feedback / insight / issues on a village level. • Designs for sign production, mounting, and placement in villages. If possible, costing related to sign production will also be provided.
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Key Issues, Findings, & Recommendations
A. Issue: Tourism dollars in the Villages The increase in visitation does not translate to increased revenue for the village. Money that guides are making showing people the sites in the villages does not end up going to the village. This is generally true whether the guide is local or comes from a larger population.
Findings: Guides from the larger centers offer a one-price-for-everything deal and whatever does not have to go to the villages for payment of accommodations, food, sightseeing, and entertainment goes straight to the guides’ pockets. When local guides show people around the village, the money they make stays for the most part with them personally, although this scenario is marginally better because the money might end up being spent in situ. This is a dilemma because when villages try to exert some control over to whom the money goes, they are at risk of losing business from unhappy guides, who might threaten to take their business elsewhere, essentially blackmailing reluctant villages whose ultimate perspective is that even small revenue is better than no revenue.
In our visit to Nombori, for example, we were told that any visitors that came here, with or without an outside guide, were required to have a local guide, as well. The village has many restricted areas and the local guide is necessary to keep people out of those areas. The elders said that tourism was down in Nombori, because the guides are taking tourists to other towns. This may in part be caused by the additional fee that must be paid to the local guide.
Recommendations: • GSTA assist the villages, perhaps through the work they are already doing with campement owners, in establishing tourism associations in the villages. A few of the villages already have something like this in place, but the functions of the associations are unclear. A step in the right direction might be to have interested villages work together to establish a network or corporation that requires, among other things, a standard license for guiding in the villages. Outside guides currently have the ability to manipulate villages by playing them against each other. If villages band together and agree upon (and then enforce!) certain requirements of outside guides, the guides will ultimately be forced to respect the villages’ demands. Now, guides threaten to omit certain villages from their tourists’ itineraries; if villages band together with common expectations of guides, guides will be obliged to honor village requests, as there will be no alternative villages (without “rules”) for outside guides to visit with tourists. • The Syndicat d’Initiative has an employee working for them in the Visitors’ Center in Bandiagara. Perhaps it would be possible for this person to work with the villages in establishing tourism associations in the off-season. • Help villagers understand how tourism can benefit the village, as a whole, and empower villages to enjoy the benefits of tourism by teaching them how to effectively interact with outside guides. • We noted with admiration the many Peace Corps volunteers in the Pays Dogon, and appreciate the great job they are doing. Even tangential involvement in this case is welcome, but the potential for “inter-agency” work should not be minimized.
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B. Issue: Increasing tourist visitation to Pays Dogon villages The villages are reporting across the board that tourism numbers are dropping off. Some campements in the villages reported (i.e. Djigibombo) that they had had no clients this year.
Findings: The villages and many campements are not keeping records of numbers of visitors. We did come across a few campements that kept records, but the Chef du village and elders seemed unaware of numbers.
Some campement owners seem to prefer keeping their financial dealings secret, so that the rest of the village does not demand money from them.
The number of visitors may be down because of economics and also due to perceived instability in the country. The political and terrorist actions taking place in the far north of the country are largely credited with deterring visitors. Many of the tourists are from France, and recent government actions there have made Mali seem a less than attractive destination. Given a choice, which they usually have, tourists will pick the place presented as less likely to have unsavory characters waiting for them. (We encountered none of this, and left the country only wishing that we could stay longer.) Extreme adventure travelers are an obvious—but not that numerous—exception to this case.
Since Paris is a major hub, transportation problems in France this year may have decreased travel to Mali for optional (or tourist) travels.
Recommendations: • When publicity of Pays Dogon is done through OMATHO, the Dogon Country website, the Journal, and other venues, the size of Mali should be emphasized. (It would be prudent to liken the size of Mali to places with which Western tourists are likely to be familiar: Mali is roughly the size of Texas and California combined; Mali is roughly two times the size of France.) Do not downplay real threats, but work to increase geographical knowledge of the region, so people understand that things happening in remote northern Mali do not translate to the instability of whole country. • In publications and on the website, make sure to highlight the value of a trip to the area. The cost of a trekking trip in Pays Dogon can be done relatively inexpensively and the experience the traveler receives for his / her money is well worth it. • Publications and the website should also highlight steps that are being taken to ensure revenue generated via tourism is benefitting and empowering local communities. Tourists like to “help;” if, for example, village committees are employing tourism- generated funds to dig a well or build a school, many tourists will be inspired to help support such efforts. • Through campement training, help owners set up a reliable and consistent way to track visitation. If a tourism association is established in the villages, the information should be passed on to them as a matter of course. This will give an accurate count of tourists and provide community members with real numbers to assess progress and visitation. • Campement owners, as business owners, should be made to understand that they have a social responsibility to help lift their community as well as their businesses. In dealings with campement owners, it should be stressed that tourism has the ability to increase
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revenue of the village. By helping to support the larger community, campement owners can increase their standing in village politics and become seen as innovators, mentors, and leaders in the community.
C. Issue: Ensuring tourism-generated village funds are properly managed It is critical that village associations are put in place to responsibly and transparently manage income generated via tourism activities in villages.
Findings: Each Pays Dogon village that is implicated in tourism and, specifically, those that are associated with the GSTA project must have a village association in place that is responsible for transparently managing income generated via tourism activities (such as those that are to be generated through the village stamps) for the benefit of entire communities. This will also be important in terms of empowering villages to effectively interact with outside guides.
Recommendations: • The GSTA program (AED and / or Solimar International) should sensitize entire communities about income opportunities through tourism, setting common expectations for funds generated through such tourism activities as the village stamps, and transparently accounting for funds; this way the entire community can help hold village associations accountable for their management of funds. • The GSTA program (AED and / or Solimar International) should work with communities to responsibly identify appropriate village association members, and then teach those members basic bookkeeping methods, which should be audited by a separate and independent village committee. All information should be transparent and available to the entire village at any time.
D. Issue: Increasing public familiarity of Pays Dogon Dogon Country is Mali’s number one tourist destination. It has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The area reportedly receives 50,000 to 60,000 visitors annually.
Findings: In article after article highlighting Africa and “things to see and do” there is no mention of the Pays Dogon. Web searches bring up NGO work in the area. The Dogon Country website has information on the area, but it is incomplete. One area where one is able to find mention of the region is on tour operator sites. There are also quite a few personal blogs that make mention of brief trips their authors have taken into the Pays Dogon.
Generally speaking, when “Africa” is mentioned to Western tourists, images of wildlife are conjured. Most people have no idea that there may be more things to do in Africa than see animals. One blog author had this experience again and again. No matter how many times he told people he was going to West Africa, and that in West Africa the culture and the people were the reason to visit and he was not going to see animals, the question was always the same when he returned: “What wild animals did you see?”
Recommendations: • The Pays Dogon is ripe for publicizing. In 2010 the New York Times wrote an article on the area. Target the travelers you want to attract. One way to do this is by contacting
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airlines that fly into Mali and submitting articles to their in-flight magazines on the Pays Dogon. http://www.inflight-magazines.com/inflight-magazines-QR.htm • Contact a well-known travel writer or blogger with ties to Mali or an interest in helping the economy of Mali and the Pays Dogon to help you write articles and spread the word about this fascinating region. These can be posted on the Dogon Country website and also shared with OMATHO to circulate. • Interest Outside magazine, National Geographic, and other magazines that target adventure travelers; concentrating on the large adventure traveler markets-Europe (specifically Germany,) Australia, and—more and more—former Eastern European block countries about featuring the Pays Dogon in an article.
E. Issue: Expanding tourism opportunities in and around Pays Dogon The more, diverse types of offerings that are presented to tourists, the greater number and types of tourists are likely to be attracted.
Findings: The Gourma is a reserve area that spreads over two cercles in the Mopti region and part of Tomboctou. The Gourma is home to the northern most herd of elephants on the African continent. In Mopti, the Gourma zone spills over parts of the cercles of Bandiagara and Douentza. It is a circular zone that encompasses various villages such as Boni and Gossi. From the city of Douentza, the Gourma reserve is approximately 30km north. There is public transport to that general area along the guidron, (main paved Bamako-Gao road), but where the elephants and wildlife are actually located, the only transport available is rental of private 4x4s. Some sporadic elephant-viewing tourism currently takes place in the Gourma, but it is not well organized.
The elephants migrate in a circular pattern, and as they move southeast to Burkina Faso, they are found in villages in the cercle of Koro, which—in addition to Bandiagara and Douentza—is another area that the GSTA project plans to feature in the Journal; many tourists currently pass this way when en route to / from Burkina Faso and the heart the currently tourist-frequented Pays Dogon villages on the falaise.
Recommendations: • The GSTA project should consider expanding “tourism offerings” that are featured in the area to include elephant viewing, as this is likely to serve in attracting tourists to the area. Work will need to be done with local village associations in order to effectively integrate elephant viewing into the larger “Pays Dogon experience.” The village associations (for example, Gossi and Boni each have one), are familiar with the elephants, work to support them, and sometimes host tourists interested in viewing the migratory elephants. • Great biodiversity conservation and local income-generation opportunities exist in the Gourma, which fit in nicely with the overall GSTA objectives, and will serve to complement work already underway to these ends in Pays Dogon. • USFS is working with Association Malienne Pour la Conservation de la Faune et de L’Environnement (AMCFE), The WILD Foundation, and the Mali Elephant Project (MEP), on biodiversity conservation and potential ecotourism and development activities in this region. Mission reports are available for reference upon request. If the
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GSTA partners are interested in further exploring opportunities for linkages between current activities underway in Pays Dogon and opportunities to incorporate elephant viewing, USFS can provide additional information.
F. Issue: Ensuring Pays Dogon does not become overrun by tourists When promoting tourism in Pays Dogon, it is important to consider the carrying capacities of villages (and their land) that are being promoted.
Findings: To date, much attention has been placed on increasing the number of tourists to Pays Dogon, due to the perceived economic benefit that can be appreciated when tourists arrive. Going forward, and as presently-conceived projects are implemented, it will be important to keep in mind the carrying capacity of villages that are being promoted. If too many tourists visit, Pays Dogon will lose the charm which comes with being such a remote and in many ways “untouched” (by Western tourists at large) destination. Of even greater concern, however, the reality of the number of tourists that Pays Dogon is literally able to maintain.
Recommendations: • AED and / or Solimar International should work with communities to evaluate how many tourists are feasible in any given season. It is crucial that the numbers of tourists do not become unwieldy and overpower what the land and people of Pays Dogon are able or willing to accommodate. If desired, USFS could assist in identifying “limits of acceptable change”—which is to say that tourism does bring change; it has already brought changes to Pays Dogon—BUT just how much change is acceptable to communities? How many tourists are acceptable before villagers’ ways of life are disrupted? Without a way to dispose of non-biodegradable trash, how many tourists would mean that there is severe environmental degradation to the land? Villages might decide to “cap” the numbers of tourists per village per season that they allow outside guides to bring in.
G. Issue: Written and electronic information on the Pays Dogon It is possible to find quite a bit of written and electronic information on Pays Dogon. However, the information available is often inaccurate, incomplete, or in many cases inadequate for planning a trip to the area.
Findings: Most travel books written about Mali have a section that covers the Pays Dogon. The information is usually sparse, overly general, dated and inadequate for planning an extended visit to the region.
Information available via the web is sparse and much of it comes from tour operators, whose quality of information is designed to attract users to their services and not necessarily depict the region realistically.
Tourism sources on the web come from OMATHO, Syndicat d’Initiative, and Dogon Country sites. The OMATHO site has been under construction for a while and there is no content. The Syndicat d’Initiative and Dogon Country sites have a lot of good information. The two sites have different types of information and presentation styles. The Syndicat d’Initiative is a little
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more nuts-and-bolts, while the layout for Dogon Country is more visually pleasing and evocative in its use of imagery.
Information on both sites can create some unrealistic expectations of what to expect in Dogon Country. For example, from reading the site one gets the idea that it is possible to take a well- established trail from one side of the falaise to the other, stopping at villages along the way. If there is a trail, a map should be provided. The typical European or American tourist might be a little surprised at what constitutes a trail in the region. The necessity for / use of local guides should also be clearly communicated, along with details pertaining to how one procures a reliable guide, appropriate contact information for reliable guides, and fair pricing estimates. This is a unique aspect to hiking Pays Dogon, which Western tourists might not anticipate.
The Dogon Country website is available in two languages (French and English). This is likely to increase the traffic to that site over that of the Syndicat d’Initiative.
Recommendations: • Have someone with web expertise dedicate serious time and energy to ensuring the Dogon Country website depicts the experience travelers are likely to have. Evaluate the site to make sure that the information accurately reflects what is available to them. This will prevent the Dogon from bearing the brunt of dashed expectations. • Work with the Syndicat d’Initiative on web development and information sharing. Why have two entities doing the same work? It would also be good to have links to one another’s websites on each of these respective websites. • Do a review of the site with an eye to how users need the information to be arranged. Ask travelers you know to try to use your site as if they were planning a trip to the region. This will give you an idea of what you are missing, if your arrangement of topics is logical, and how you might enhance the website. • Consider a trip planning section-with suggested routes, “stay in (this) village,” “don’t miss (that) site,” etc. A lot of this information is already on the website, but it is embedded within individual village pages and hard to find. • If the website has a map at the bottom of each village page, make sure that the village that is being highlighted is one of the points that appears on the map. • Create a useable map for the region. Visitors will have need of different types of maps of Pays Dogon. Create a basic schematic map with minimal information (towns, distances-driving and walking) for users to get their bearings. Use Google Earth to show topography and landscape. Consider creating a .kmz or .kml overlay for Google Earth and have it available on your website. The overlay will allow you to embed additional information into your map, without detracting from geophysical data that users want and need. Your overlay should give general information about the village, hazards, potential for flooded crossing, etc. (See Appendix G). • The Internet allows for increased visibility for destination travel. You can provide current and sophisticated information for a relatively low price. Make sure your information is accurate and up-to-date and your site will be the “destination” for information. • Make your site interactive for visitors, by creating a forum page, where they can post their comments. Visitors love to read what other people who have been to a site have to
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say. This expands the kind of information they are getting from static and canned to something that is current and evolving. This will be additional work for you, as someone will need o monitor comments for spamming and inappropriate and non-relevant remarks. • Consider eventually translating your website into additional languages. Work with OMATHO to identify which languages would be most prudent, based upon travelers to the country / region.
H. Issue: Pays Dogon Visitors’ Center A visitors’ center that serves all of Pays Dogon is needed.
Finding: There is currently no visitors’ center for all of Pays Dogon. The closest thing that exists to fill this need is the new Visitors’ Center (run by the Syndicat d’Initiative) in Bandiagara, but information found therein is sparse and—importantly—the intention of this Visitors’ Center is only to serve the Cercle de Bandiagara. Also noteworthy is the concern about what will become of Bandiagara’s Visitors’ Center after the life of the GSTA project; it is unclear how adequate funding will be procured beyond the life of the GSTA project to continue paying the Visitors’ Center employee, rent for the building where the Visitors’ Center is housed, and other recurring expenses including electricity. Therefore, the long-term survival of the closest thing that exists to filling the need of a Pays Dogon Visitors’ Center is uncertain. Regardless of the ultimate fate of Bandiagara’s Visitors’ Center, however, the fact remains that there is no one place that tourists can go to receive comprehensive information pertaining to all of Pays Dogon.
Recommendations: • As there is a base from which to work in Bandiagara, consider expanding the existing Visitors’ Center to include information about all of Pays Dogon. • Make visitors aware of the Visitors’ Center in Bandiagara by publicizing through OMATHO, on the Dogon Country website, and in the Journal. • Expand the types of information and offerings of the Visitors’ Center. Make this the “go-to” location for obtaining qualified local guides, (as opposed to through hotels, which currently seems to be the norm). • Consider long-term sustainability of the Visitors’ Center. Is it feasible to continue paying such recurring costs as building rent and electricity? Might an outdoor interpretive walk (perhaps located near the OMATHO office in Sangha) be more appropriate? Security / vandalism concerns would need to be taken into account, and so the interpretive walk would need to be located somewhere that it could be well monitored / protected. Creative options should be entertained: Perhaps the visitor “arrives in Pays Dogon” (i.e. enters the interpretive walk) “as a local”—he/she could pass through a Sotarama (green van / local taxi) with a door cut through either side of the van to begin the interpretive walk. The interpretive walk could, in many ways, serve as a Visitors’ Center, including examples of plants with interpretive plaques explaining their uses, for example, and directing the visitor to (the OMATHO office next door) for maps, brochures, guidance on guides, etc.
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• Many visitors to the area will have read a fair amount about Mali and Pays Dogon. They will be curious about the natural environment, history, culture and their (tourists’) role. All types of interpretation, both visual and oral, should respond to these needs. • Wherever the Pays Dogon Visitors’ Center is located, and in whatever form it takes (a more traditional building versus an interpretive walk,) it should be a place with reliable hours of operation that provides consistent information and services to tourists. • Solimar International might be interested in working with USFS to create a Pays Dogon Visitors’ Center using a similar approach to that being taken in Uganda through the GSTA program there, whereby the visitors’ center design is incorporated into the natural environment, etc.
I. Issue: Tourist expectations In order to attract and continue to attract tourists, it is desirable to create an authentic and memorable experience for the visitor.
Findings: Travelers are increasingly sophisticated in their desire for travel experiences. The travelers attracted to this area are not looking for the “lying on the beach” experience. Many of them want to get out and trek, experience the culture, and get to know the area.
Many of the village guides we encountered, walked around with us and answered questions when we asked them, but were not informative unless we asked questions. They often stopped for a noticeable amount of time to chat with friends and family; these were not just village children hoping for a tip to show us around, but folks purporting to be bona fide guides. This can leave Western tourists with the impression that their guide was uninformative and unprofessional. If villages are going to insist upon visitors utilizing and paying for their services (guides) they must provide a quality service.
Tourists employing guides are looking for more than rote tours. They are looking for history, culture, mystery, and science woven together. Through interpretive tours, the guides can engage visitors and create a personal and place connection. These kinds of presentations have the potential to bring more long-term benefits and personal engagement than a tour of facts only. The Dogon history and day-to-day life has all the elements for an enriching experience, but guides need guidance in crafting their presentations. It seems to us that a really good guide with extensive and authentic knowledge of the area could make quite a name for him or herself.
Today’s travelers are seeking life experiences, time spent outdoors, volunteer and learning opportunities, community outreach, wildlife viewing, attendance at local festivals, cultural appreciation, and nature study.
One of the problems with an extended tour of the Dogon Country is that most villages offer the same limited experiences. Something that was brought up several times in our meetings in the towns was this: “we are starting masked dances/bringing back the caiman etc.” The village administrators have seen the success other villages have had with attracting tourists with these activities and seek to replicate them in their village.
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We also found this to be true of the cultural crafts in the villages. All the villages offer the same crafts. When that happens, tourists are likely to believe there is no reason to visit Endé, for example, for the beautiful bogolan, because it exists everywhere.
If it feels like it is done up for tourists, especially with the crowd you are trying to attract here, people will avoid it. Sangha is a perfect example of this. It felt as if people had been coached on how to act for tourists. The town was very commercial and rehearsed. The masked dancing in Sangha was tired and not well executed. The dancers looked bored. The ten or so young men in jeans and tubab t-shirts standing next to the traditionally garbed singers laughing and jostling while they tried to join in, confirmed to all watching that the dance was an act for money. While another dance we watched, which was held in Tireli was also performed for tourists, the experiences could not have been more different. The dance in Tireli attempted to create an authentic experience for the viewer. The dancers were energetic, the costumes traditional, and the setting atmospheric. If you do not have that, you lose your audience; while it is often hard to get good news out about places, bad news travels quickly.
Recommendations: • Work with village tourism associations to communicate the need for a unique tourism niche for a village. Highlight the strengths of the villages. If (this) village produces the most beautiful indigo, send that message out through the website, the journal, and appropriate visitors’ center(s). This will also help prevent guides from avoiding a specific village; if village (x) offers something of interest that is not found elsewhere, tourists will insist upon visiting. • Some villages do not have something that singles them out. We recommend that GSTA or some other entity working in the region assist with this. (Perhaps a Peace Corps volunteer with eco-tourism expertise could assist). There are a lot of experiences that tourists are looking for. The villages have opportunities to develop them. For example bird watching is a popular activity, and the Pays Dogon seems to have quite a few birds. Is there a village that has someone with local knowledge of birds? That village could become known for providing an hour hike in search of birds and bird lore. Plants and traditional medicine is also a burgeoning area of interest for travelers. • While driving and hiking from village to village are two popular methods for getting around Pays Dogon, what about Moto tours that start at one of the villages at either end of the falaise and work their way across stopping along the way to visit sites and do topic specific treks? Have biking tour opportunities been capitalized upon?
J. Issue: Prices for lodging, food, guided tours, and activities A trip into Dogon Country can be one of the most economical trips for travelers, and even inflated prices for the area can feel like a bargain, but no one wants to feel like they are being taken advantage of. Tourists do not want to feel like they are being overcharged and villagers want and deserve to get a fair price for their services.
Findings: Some campements are not consistent in the amount they charge for lodging and food and they often do not keep track of whether or not meals have been provided to guests. Actual charges for services may be charged at a different rate than those posted or understood by travelers.
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There is a lot of negotiation for products, services, and activities. While negotiation for goods is common, the differences in prices charged for crafts and services are confusing. It is hard for a tourist to know when a reasonable price is being requested and when an outlandish price is being demanded.
Recommendations: • While it makes sense from our point of view to be able to bargain for goods and services, prices for food and lodging at the campements should be prominently posted, and tourists should make sure that they talk to the campement owners about prices before engaging in activities. • Tourists should be aware that prices should be negotiated before a service is rendered. If, for example, a guided walk is taken in a village, tourists should negotiate the guide’s fee and be clear about whether any additional charges might be anticipated (i.e. a museum entrance fee.) Are costs per person or per group? These points should be communicated to guides / campement owners via GSTA trainings, and to tourists via the Dogon Country website and Journal. • Make sure to convey to tourists via the website or Journal that bargaining experience is almost a necessity. Some general listing of a range of prices for dances, crafts and guided tours should be posted on the web to make sure that both residents and villagers get a fair deal. The Syndicat d’Initiative does have a general listing of both campement prices and general tour costs. Dogon Country site should also list these and the costs should be posted in the Bandiagara Visitors’ Center
K. Issue: Adequate accommodations and food for tourists Some of the villages that are slated to have a plaque posted and have journal entries have inadequate facilities for guests.
Findings: A number of villages hoping to benefit from tourism, such as Touperé, have no facilities for guests to stay overnight. Food (availability and sanitation) is another consideration. If this project is successful, it may bring more visitors than certain villages are prepared to deal with.
Recommendations • Before the completion of the journal and placement of the signs, ensure the villages included have at least basic sleeping facilities and a way that overnight guests to the village can acquire a meal. OR—at a minimum—communicate clearly via the website and Journal what is / is not available in certain villages in terms of tourist accommodations / amenities. • In villages such as Touperé, which currently receives no tourists, but would like for that to change—provide some basic training, on a smaller scale than what was recently provided to other campement owners, on basic hygiene, business practices, and safety.
L. Issue: Sign Markers for Villages There need to be clear sign markers for all villages that are being promoted by the GSTA project as tourism destinations.
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Findings: Not all villages—particularly those that are being considered by the GSTA project as “new tourist destinations”—are clearly marked. Touperé, for example, is extremely difficult to find, once one turns off the main road.
Recommendations: • Solimar International and / or AED should work with appropriate Malian roads officials to create and appropriately place sign markers for all villages that are being promoted through the GSTA/PD project.
M. Issue: Village Signs Each of the villages visited will have a sign placed at a point of their choice. The signs will feature unique information about the village and its history, culture, unique features, etc.
Findings: The climate in Mali is extreme and variable. Any sign placed in the region should be able to withstand hot temperatures, and months of rain and high winds. The extreme climate of the region makes any material prone to degradation.
The area is inundated with metal signs in varying stages of disrepair and degrees of attractiveness. Many signs are dented and rusting. A few have had the paint rubbed off and there is no way to tell what their original message was. The abundance of homogenous signs tends to make them invisible to passersby.
Our investigation of printers in Bamako leads us to conclude that options for the printing of signs, of any other substrate than metal, in Mali are non-existent.
Recommendations: • There are a variety of fabrication materials available for outdoor signs. Our recommendation is to fabricate the signs from Exterior Grade High Pressure Laminate (HPL). The price is reasonable at 60-70 dollars per square foot. At ½ inch thick the sign can be free standing if the design calls for it. This means that it would not need to be encased in a frame. HPL has good color quality and it is resistant to moisture and sun. It is also possible to cut it to custom shapes, and it comes with a ten-year guarantee. • Although the sign could be freestanding, the design will most likely end up incorporating some sort of frame and stand. These materials also need to be considered carefully: wood, stone, or metal are all possible at this point. We recommend using materials that fit into the environment. In some cases where the sign location is in an area fully exposed to the elements, a shade cover might be placed over it. • After seeing all the fine craftsmanship in the area, we propose using local artisans / carpenters / carvers to assist in creating the signs’ mounting / frame, etc. • We were unable to discover any printers in Mali that can print signs of this type. We are familiar with several companies in the United States for printing signs of this type and can provide details, if desired. Due to the expense of shipping from the states to Mali, however, we also recommend Solimar International research companies elsewhere in Africa and / or Europe.
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• Have fun with the unveiling of the signs, involve the communities, recognize the groups you met with and the artists that constructed the sign structures. • Our team has expertise in sign frame design and offers our services, in conjunction with any in-country or local builders and designers. • The continued involvement of our USFS team through the completion of the project is important. We will be involved in working with whatever printer is chosen to ensure the signs are printed and fabricated to the highest standard. • Any tourism products that will be produced, including village signage, should be vetted by Solimar International and / or AED with communities for accuracy and to ensure cultural appropriateness. Materials should also be vetted with and approved by OMATHO before production.
N. Issue: Printing of the Journal The Journal will highlight some villages in Pays Dogon, introduce the culture and traditions of the area, as well as cover general information on travel in the region. It is our wish that the Journal will be used as a guide and as a journal in the traditional sense of the word, where travelers can record their observations and collect what we hope will become the very popular rubber stamp impressions from the villages they visit. The Journal will serve as a keepsake of their journey in this fascinating corner of the world.
Findings: We have examined tourism publications available for Mali and found them fairly consistent in their appearance. The cover is usually a heavy glossy stock and the interior pages white. In our meetings with printers in Bamako we found that any deviations from the standards we had already seen were limited and expensive.
Printing in Mali would involve many compromises on the features we have determined would make this publication unique and give it a keepsake quality—features such as recycled and environmentally friendly papers and inks, and straight-forward die-cuts. Printing elsewhere could involve hefty shipping costs and would take revenue out of the country, but would give the Journal more of a chance of becoming a valuable and sought-after memento by tourists.
Recommendations • We recommend that the Journal be printed elsewhere on the continent or Europe. We realize that will add increased costs for shipping, but feel that the options in-country are too limited and using the printing options available would not allow a journal to be produced that meets the objectives of this GSTA project. If produced in-country, the journal runs a strong risk of being “lost” amidst a number of high-quality but very similar glossy publications. • We suggest Solimar International research a qualified printer on the continent to keep shipping costs lower than a European option. If Solimar International deems a US-based company to be the preferred option, our USFS team can provide recommendations of companies with which we are familiar. Additionally, Solimar International should explore donated or reduced-price printing opportunities with IBM Printing through the connection of Peace Corps Volunteer and GSTA collaborator, Deborah Gilbert. • Our team recognizes that not using a Malian printing company in order to ensure a quality product that serves the ideals of this GSTA project will mean investing resources
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outside of Mali that might have otherwise been invested in Bamako. In order to offset this in a small way and further contribute to the people of Pays Dogon, specifically, one idea is to have local artists or craftsmen create aftermarket covers for the journal; something that would add value and longevity to the product and, again, help generate income for the people of Pays Dogon (which—even if printed in Bamako—would not be the case.) Possibilities include having local women embroider indigo or bogolon (mud cloth) covers for the journal and/or having leatherworkers design a cover jacket. • Any tourism products that will be produced, including the Pays Dogon Journal should be vetted by Solimar International and / or Academy for Educational Development (AED) with communities for accuracy and to ensure cultural appropriateness. Materials should also be vetted with and approved by OMATHO before production. • Our USFS team should be involved in working with the printer. The graphic designer needs to be involved in the printing process and reviews of the pre-press drafts of the Journal.
O. Issue: Sanitation Sanitation in villages should be improved.
Findings: There is no systematic way to dispose of non-biodegradable trash in the remote villages of Pays Dogon. Likewise, there is no formalized system of human waste disposal, though some households have pit latrines. When hiking to sites of interest, tourists can expect to often stumble upon waste in various forms.
Recommendations: • AED and / or Solimar International should work with target villages to communicate the importance of basic sanitation and waste disposal. Not only does failing to properly dispose of waste pose health concerns for villagers and tourists alike, but trash (discarded batteries, forgotten plastic containers and sacks, etc.) and human waste detract from the ambiance of Pays Dogon, with its interesting architecture, landscape, and culture. A “cleaner” experience will contribute to attracting tourists, which is a goal articulated by every village we visited during the course of our mission.
P. Issue: Availability of Pays Dogon Journal It will be necessary to find ways to get the Journal into the hands of travelers to the Pays Dogon.
Findings: Many tourism brochures produced about Mali are not to be found in Mali. For example, two brochures that have been printed by OMATHO on Mali and the Pays Dogon cannot even be found at the OMATHO offices.
Technology, access and language barriers can prevent publications from getting to the tourists who need them. These same issues can prevent people from knowing that the publications even exist.
Recommendations:
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• Make sure that all OMATHO offices have copies of the Journal, either to sell, themselves, if that is practical, or to provide to sales outlets. • Visitors’ Centers in Mali, and campement owners en brousse should have a supply of Journals for sale, which should probably be paid for upfront by the organization or campement. • We recommend that all supplies for sale at uncontrolled sources be purchased upfront, and that the Journal has the retail sale price printed on it. • Have the ability to sell the Journal on-line from your Syndicat d’ initiative and Dogon Country websites. • If the Journal is only made available in French, allow for an English version, in abbreviated form and discounted price, to be downloaded from the websites. This might be an option for other languages, as well, and might even be deemed an option in French. • Reach out to travel centers, tourism agencies throughout the country, and bookstores to see if there is an interest in carrying your publication for sale. If not for sale, at least make sure they know that such a publication exists. They can help get out the word. • Once the Journal (and signs) is completed send out a press release to travel and tourism markets and key public figures. Make sure you let people know what GSTA is trying to do and what has already been accomplished. Be sure to mention the role communities played. If women are sewing covers for the books, or local craftsman made sign structures, or printing is done by a Malian company, be sure to highlight these points. • Plan on handing out some of the journals for free to key players in the industry-heads of OMATHO offices, Mission Culturelle, Mayor of Bandiagara, eco-tourism associations, etc.
Q. Issue: Focus on tourism when basic needs are still not covered There is a crucial need for food and clean water in the area. And the question was often presented to us during our meetings and interviews: “why are you focused on tourism instead of projects that will meet the most basic of our needs?”
Findings: This question’s validity was highlighted by its repetition. There was no malice in it, just a true curiosity.
Here are some remarks related to this issue: • These projects cannot compensate for the shortage of water (Djigibombo) • Money is needed to help finance a new dam (Tireli) • The road out of town is no good why not use GSTA’s money to fix that (Tireli) • The village needs help with development projects and could use loans for development (this from both Nombori & Tireli)
Recommendations: • There is much being done by NGOs around these areas of concern. By diversifying the economy and bringing money to the village, the villages will have increasing autonomy to develop projects that they decide need to be addressed. It must be conveyed to the villages that grant money might stop coming into the country at any time, and that outside interest in their health and welfare might be diverted. By creating an industry
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and market for themselves, they retain money and control, and will able to address the problems of new roads and broken wells themselves.
R. Issue: GSTA Project should “close the loop” with all villages contacted It is important for AED and Solimar International to “close the loop” with all villages that have had involvement in any stage of GSTA planning or activity.
Findings: A number of villages have been consulted and / or involved in various phases of GSTA project planning and activity implementation.
Recommendations: • Any tourism products that will be produced, including the Pays Dogon Journal and interpretive signs, should be vetted by Solimar International and/or Academy for Educational Development (AED) with communities for accuracy and to ensure cultural appropriateness before being produced in final form. Materials should also be vetted with and approved by OMATHO before production. • It is possible that not all villages / village representatives contacted will have ultimate involvement in GSTA activities, be featured in the Dogon Country Journal, etc. AED and / or Solimar International should make a concerted effort to inform all villages with which there has been any communication of project progress, decisions made regarding villages to feature for different activities, etc. Even if it is decided that village (x) will not be featured in the Journal, the village will appreciate being informed of developments and the reasoning behind decisions made, as opposed to having had “outside consultants” parachute in, extract information, then “disappear” with no fruit of the villages interest / labor ever being realized.
S. Issue: Communication for tourists in Bandiagara As a portal into Dogon Country and the location of a new Visitors’ Center (run by the Syndicat d’Initiative) and a new museum, tourists should be able to find in Bandiagara a thorough understanding of the activities available in the Bandiagara area and surrounding villages, as well as a system in place to communicate pertinent information to tourists.
Findings: For the most part, the Mayor’s office and the Chiefs of the Quartiers are unaware of what is happening outside of the city, and perhaps even in their own quartiers. When asked for sites of interest in Bandiagara, neither the new Visitors’ Center nor the new museum was mentioned.
There is no reliable system for tourists passing through Bandiagara to find out about activities within the Region, nor any real incentive for tourists to spend much time in Bandiagara, itself. Even tourists sites located in Bandiagara, itself, (such as the Palais du Agibou Tall) are extraordinarily difficult to visit. Western tourists desire an accessible tourism experience. If Bandiagara intends to draw tourists and reap the economic benefits of their presence, the town must offer something to tourists: An experience that is rich with cultural insight and easily accessible to visitors must be created and fostered.
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Once tourists heading into Dogon Country arrive in Bandiagara, their planning needs have changed from general and conceptual to more detailed and complex. They will want to know in greater detail about facilities available in the places they are going, safety issues, forbidden activities, and cultural norms. Bandiagara is a logical place to supply this information.
Recommendations: • The new Visitors’ Center and the Syndicat d’ Initiative should use the prestige that comes from being one of four pilot centers approved for creation by the Malian National Assembly, and develop a tourism association. • The newly formed tourist association should help Bandiagara develop a reliable system of contacts for activities within Bandiagara and its environs. • The Visitors’ Center should be a central point for finding information on the region. Displays should be developed for the center that show the diversity of the area; key contacts and maps should be displayed and available as take-aways to facilitate tourists planning tours and accommodations in the region. • While QR codes are relatively new, their popularity with European users is increasing, as more and more people begin carrying smart phones, it may be desirable to equip signs with a QR code, so that people are directed to the appropriate websites for information even when the tourism center is not open. This will increase traffic to the Syndicat d’Initiative and Dogon Country sites and make sure that tourists have correct information. For a description of what QR codes are and how they might work in this area see Appendix J.
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Conclusions
The interpretive materials being developed (journal, stamp, and signs) should greatly improve the visitor experience to Pays Dogon. With the correct placement and distribution, they can be effective tools to draw tourists to the area and increase the revenue that is brought into villages.
It is obvious that the development of some type of tourism association is necessary to prevent tourism dollars from going into individuals’ pockets and not benefitting villages as a whole. Campement owners seem to be a good first choice to engage. They are already involved with visitors and have had some training in business and tourism. It will be necessary to reach out to community leaders, as well, emphasizing benefits to their respective villages. Associations will help develop standards for guides and help the villages to work together for the benefit of all. Creating diverse visitor tours and services, artisanal products, and providing lodging and food for trekkers will help each village make their own niche.
The Visitors’ Center and Syndicat d’ Initiative can play a key role in increased visitation to Pays Dogon and distribution of material in the area. The Visitors’ Center, being located in a key geographic location for entry into the Pays Dogon, should be “the place” for what to see and do in the region. The Visitors’ Center in Bandiagara should be a recognized location and the person staffing the center should be knowledgeable about opportunities in Pays Dogon and have visited the sites he / she will be promoting.
Serious time and effort spent updating the websites will result in increased use and better information and planning tools for visitors. Developing useful maps with villages, landmarks, and routes will help travelers plan their visits to the area, as well as trekking and biking trips. Quality maps can be expensive to develop, so consider using Google maps and creating a .kmz overlay. This can be an effective tool for getting out information.
The team believes that success in carving out a larger tourism market in the Pays Dogon is possible. Much work has already been accomplished, and a lot of quality foundation has been laid. The road ahead will be long and challenging, but endlessly rewarding. Allah k’an deme.
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Appendix A—Calendar Itinerary
September 2010 Community Signage
Workshops
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesda Thursday Friday Saturday y 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Arrive in Leave Half day to Leave early Leave Leave early Bamako early Recuperate morning for early morning for (night) morning Djigibombo morning Kanikombole. for Tour of (Lunch). for visit Capture Stories Bandiagara Bandiagara Capture & Story in Kanikombole- for Photo stories in capturing visit Nursery. collection Djigibombo in Koro (Lunch) and (Sleep) &Bankas Sleep in Ennde Independen s ce day Sleep in activities Bankass 26 27 28 29 30 Visit and Visit and Leave Visit and Leave early capture capture early capture morning for Stories in stories in morning stories in Ireli via a Ennde Teli for Tereli. – brief stop at Sleep in (Lunch) Nombori. Possibility Amani to Ennde Return to Visit and for a small visit the Bandiagar Capture mask dance crocodile a (Sleep) stories in to be pond. Sleep Nombori. organized. in Sangha Sleep in Sleep in Tereli Tereli
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October 2010 Community Signage
Workshops Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 Half day Leave early visit morning for Sangha Toupere, (Lunch) capture Return to stories and Bandiagara visit. Travel for rest to Dogani- and sleep Bere.(Lunch) in Visit and Bandiagara Capture Stories in Dogani-Bere (Sleep) 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Leave Visit and Potential Morning Meet with Work on early capture Morning meeting printing mission morning stories for meeting with companies report for Borko, Bandiagara. with Eaux Syndicat in draft. visit and et Foret in d’Initiative Bamako. Return capture Sevare. and other Regroup, flight to stories in Lunch in stakeholders work on US Borko Mopti. in mission (Lunch) Afternoon Bandiagara. report afternoon meeting Return to draft, and in Borko, with Bamako. wrap up. return to OMATHO . Bandiagara and time (Sleep) to explore market, etc
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Appendix B—Preliminary Scope of Work Document
US Forest Service Office of International Programs Scope of Work In support of GSTA Pays Dogon, Mali
Interpretive Pays Dogon Journal and Signage
I. Background
The US Forest Service (USFS) has over a century of natural resource management experience working in over 77 million hectares of National Forests and Grasslands. The Agency is charged with providing multiple social and environmental benefits to the public including recreation, wildlife and biodiversity protection, watershed conservation and forest products. Given this mandate, USFS has within its ranks specialized expertise in areas such as integrated resources management, protected areas management, tourism, silviculture, agroforestry, anthropology, disaster preparedness and mitigation, hydrology and soils, migratory birds, and other wildlife management.
Of the multiple uses of USFS lands, recreation by far makes the largest contribution to US gross domestic product. Increasingly, the Forest Service works with private landowners, counties, municipalities, other Federal agencies, states and the tourism industry to promote sustainable natural resource based tourism, and to work with communities to facilitate their participation. The USFS has a significant track record in establishing long-term partnerships. Increasingly, the Forest Service is being asked to provide technical assistance all over the world on sustainable management of parks and other protected areas. Forest Service experts offer a wide range of technical capacity across the entire recreation spectrum, from design and implementation of activities in wilderness areas to management of urban forests. Similar to our work domestically, the international activities of the Forest Service seek to balance social and economic needs of communities with protection of natural resources.
USFS has provided previous support to the Pays Dogon GSTA activity by conducting training in visitors’ center development and management, visitor education, resource protection, and customer service in the Bandiagara Cercle. The USFS has also worked directly with Mali’s Direction Nationale des Eaux et Fôrets (DNEF,) providing technical support in the area of natural resources management planning. Finally, USFS is contributing to sustainable ecotourism and improved local livelihood development in the Gourma Region of Mali, where we have provided technical assistance and funding to support the creation of educational materials and informational brochures that promote conservation awareness among local populations.
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The Academy for Educational Development (AED) is an independent, nonprofit organization committed to solving critical problems and building the capacity of individuals, communities, and institutions to become more self-sufficient. AED works in all the major areas of human development, with a focus on improving education, health, the environment, and economic opportunities for the least advantages in the US and in development countries worldwide. AED is the prime recipient and one of four managing partners of the GSTA Leader with Associates Award, and the lead implementing partner of the GSTA/PD. AED’s primary focus for activities in the GSTA/PD include strengthening natural resource management capacity and increasing food security, and conserving important biodiversity areas while stimulating economic growth. Solimar International, one of the implementing partners of the GSTA/PD program, is a tourism development consulting firm with the mission of helping businesses, travelers, and destinations develop and connect to sustainable tourism experiences that support environmental conservation, preserve cultural heritage, and enhance the lives of local residents. One of Solimar’s main focuses throughout the GSTA/PD program is utilizing tourism as a tool for linking biodiversity conservation and awareness to economic benefits for the Dogon people. GSTA/PD will focus its tourism activities on a ‘Dogon Natural and Cultural Trail’ that links and enhances tourism products in areas of biological significance to new and existing tourism circuits and to tourism markets.
II. Objective of USFS Support to the Pays Dogon GSTA
The overall objective of USFS technical assistance in the Pays Dogon GSTA is to build capacity in natural resources management, natural resource conservation, and improved rural livelihoods in Pays Dogon. Particular interest has been expressed in having USFS provide technical expertise related to the following topics over the life if the GSTA project. . forest/natural resources management . planting/reforestation efforts . support to local guides in organizing a visitors’ center . support to other tourism-related activities, including trail development and interpretive signage . Support ecotourism guide trainings . Wood lot seed management in the nurseries
Under the current Collection Agreement, USFS support to the GSTA can occur through September 30, 2012. USFS support will occur in response to specific requests made by AED and Solimar International, according to the availability of resources.
III. September 2010 mission: Signage and Pays Dogon Journal
This mission is intended to focus on villages in Pays Dogon that currently receive substantial tourist “traffic,” and create a more profound experience for visitors. The primary products of this mission will be signage highlighting history, traditions and points of interest within the
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villages, and interpretive information to be included in a Pays Dogon Journal. The USFS team will interact with local authorities and keepers of oral traditions to glean local insights that can be highlighted in interpretive materials for tourists, and which will contribute to a more authentic and profound exposure to villages visited.
The US Forest Service team will create interpretive village-specific segments of a Pays Dogon Journal. Each segment (village) section should provide 2 – 3 pages of interpretive information about the site, and also provide a place for visitors who purchase the Journal to make their own notations about the villages they visit. The final version of the Journal, which will likely include a broad overview / background section about Pays Dogon and introduction to the region, will be compiled by Solimar International, and organized according to places visited along typical hiking routes.
Interpretive signage / plaques will be placed along tourist hiking trails. It will be important to ensure that all signage respects Malian laws. Recommendations are sought from USFS regarding ways to integrate signs into the natural environment utilizing local products to the extent possible. It is envisaged that USFS will produce plans for one sign / plaque per “target village” as deliverables of this technical assistance mission.
Examples of information that might be gleaned from local leadership and then incorporated into the interpretive Pays Dogon Journal and / or signage include: • Architectual highlights: togunas, etc. • Significance of different masks • Sacred sites and belief systems: mosque, crocodile pond, waterfall • What is a Hogon? And whether there is one in a particular village • Who founded the village or town and around what year? • Important historical points or figures • What are the most common last names in the village and what are joking cousins? • Is there a village totem? Are there any features of nature that hold particular significance, unique to the village? • Is the village known for any particular handicrafts? (For example, Ennde is highly regarded for its indigo and bogolon.) • Local medicinal plants • Traditional foods • Are there any traditional ceremonies / celebrations? When do they occur, and what do they signify? • A word or two of greeting in the local language • Unique stories about the village that are not typically found in guide books such as Lonely Planet. * NB. This is an illustrative list *NB. Any tourism products that will be produced, including the Pays Dogon Journal and signage, should first be vetted with communities for accuracy and to ensure cultural appropriateness. IV. Deliverables: . Collect content on a village by village basis, which will go into the Pays Dogon Journal, as well as the village signs / plaques.
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. Design an interpretive sign / plaque for the respective towns and villages visited with appropriate layout, design, color palette, etc. Each village’s sign / plaque will serve as a point of orientation for visitors, and should be created keeping in mind the local environment for both the sign, itself, and the material used to mount the sign. The signs will be produced using the USFS-designs / prototypes following the completion of this mission; production will be overseen / handled by Solimar International. . In consultation with village leadership, identify strategic placement of signs within villages. . Create interpretive village-specific segments of a Pays Dogon Journal for target villages. (Where possible, other “segments” will also be created, possibly to include “points of interest en route” between villages.) . Produce a trip report to be shared with GSTA and Malian partners. (This will be delivered after the completion of the mission.) The trip report should include the following items: o Action items and recommendations of additional ways to enhance tourists’ experiences beyond the creation of an interpretive Pays Dogon Journal and signage; this might include the promotion of handicrafts, availability of food and water, ways to better link tourism businesses/products within the various villages to the market, the sort of assistance needed by tourism businesses/products to improve the services offered. o Additional feedback / insight / issues on a village level. . Designs for sign production, mounting, and placement in villages. If possible, costing related to sign production will also be provided.
*NB Pays Dogon Journal segments and sign / plaque prototypes to be produced in English and French.
V. Team: USFS tourism experts with interpretive materials development experience and, where possible, French language skills.
• Lauren Chitty ( [email protected], 202-273-4728 ) US Forest Service, International Programs, Africa Program Specialist • Charles Lindemuth ( [email protected], 907-743-9512 ) US Forest Service Visual Information Specialist • Mona Spargo ( [email protected], 907-743-9572 ) US Forest Service Public Affairs
VI. Timing: September 20 – October 8, 2010 VII. Locations: See itinerary below. VIII. Primary Partner Points of Contact:
• Barri Diakite ( diakite_barri @yahoo.fr , [email protected] ) AED in-country coordinator for the GSTA • Dillon Smith ( [email protected]) AED Technical Contact, based in Washington, DC
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• Shawndra Herry ( [email protected] ) Program Manager, Solimar International, based in Washington, DC IX. Responsibilities and Expectations
Pre-departure: US Forest Service will recruit and mobilize two-three tourism experts with interpretive materials development experience. Prior to the mission, the USFS team will communicate directly with Dillon Smith and Shawndra Herry in order to refine specific mission priorities, and discuss intricacies of the schedule. The AED/Solimar team will provide information and in-country contacts, as well as assist in preparation for and implementation of this mission. Shawndra Herry is working with a local guide and OMATHO agents, who will visit the target villages for this mission before the arrival of the USFS team in-country. The AED/Solimar International team will arrange for all of the logistics of this mission, identify appropriate participants from each village to inform the interpretive materials that are to be produced, and lay the necessary groundwork for the goals this mission aims to accomplish.
Specifically, AED/Solimar will: . Organize all ground transportation for the USFS team while in-country. . Coordinate accommodations and meals in Pays Dogon; accommodations will be paid by USFS experts with funds transferred from AED to USFS through a Collection Agreement. . Inform the USFS team’s mission preparations (before team’s departure for Mali) including: - specific desired outcomes - providing relevant background data, including a creative brief on the destinations to be included in the Journal - arranging for any relevant meetings / consultations for the USFS team while in- country, including meetings with the Cultural Mission, OMATHO and Syndicat d’Initiative to gain insight and information into the cultural aspects and signage of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. . As necessary, arrange for translator (French - local language) for USFS team. . Obtain US Embassy clearance on travel to destinations identified by AED/Solimar team in mission itinerary.
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X. Other Information:
http://a7.idata.over-blog.com/0/13/88/41/carte-pays-dogon.jpg
Population: Below is some information on the four districts (cercles) on which the GSTA project is primarily focused. The population in the village of Bandiagara is approx. 13,100 while the entire district is approx. 279,543. Major tourist destinations in the Bandiagara district are the cliff and plateau villages in the Commune of Sangha with approximately 10,000 inhabitants.
Based on data provided from the Direction of Agriculture in Bandiagara, the district of Bandiagara has a total of 770 hectares of arable land currently cultivated. The Bankass district has a sizeable 89,976 hectares of arable land, although it is not clear whether all of it is currently farmed.
Total population figures per cercle (district): Bandiagara – 279,543
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Bankass – 240,239 Koro – 328,675 Douentza – 191,412 Total population in Dogon country = 1,039,869
On average, each farming household cultivates 3 to 3.5 hectares of land. The average household is between 7 to 9 individuals.
For the Bandiagara district, we could assume there are approximately 23,166 households. However, clearly not all households cultivate in the district if only 770 hectares of land are farmed.
The cercle of Bankass is the breadbasket of Dogon country. We can easily assume that 30,000 households cultivate in the cercle of Bankass, each with 2.9 hectares of land. Bankass is environmentally diverse, with arid sandy plains, cliff villages, and a forest area that extends into the border with Burkina Faso.
Some local NGOs and institutions already target natural resource management in the area, such as EcoSahel. In terms of biodiversity, the Direction of Conservation and Environment in Bankass and Koro have expressed a desire to protect the habitats of hippos and crocodiles in villages of Bankass and Koro respectively. There is a river tributary from Burkina Faso that extends into a village in the cercle of Bankass where hippos live year round accompanied with various migratory birds. Also, throughout Dogon country you will find ponds with crocodiles that are considered sacred by villagers, some of which dry up during the hot season forcing many of these crocodiles to leave and find refuge elsewhere.
As relates to the overall GSTA project, targets for most if not all of these indicators should be to work in collaboration with the Directions of Environment and Conservation as well as Directions of Agriculture in each cercle by providing technical assistance with first identifying certain practices that are harmful to the environment, then raising awareness about such practices, and implicating NGOs and local associations in identifying better techniques with the population to then formulate a feasible grassroots strategy in implementing such improved practices. There are currently many NGOs in Dogon country that focus on protecting the environment that we can make contact with and perhaps even send our experts to assist. These NGOs work very closely with the regional directions of agriculture and the environment in establishing laws and agreements with villages.
Important Bird Areas (IBA's) in Dogon country: The types of birds in these IBAs are referred to as "oiseaux du savanne" or savana birds, which feed on fruit trees.
These birds are prominent all along the Dogon escarpment, which is approximately 200km. If you look on a map of the Dogon escarpment, typically called the Bandiagara escarpment, these birds are found from the southeast village of Enndé to the northeast village of Segue. Thus, occupying territory in the circles of Bankass, Bandiagara, and Douentza.
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Another IBA is in the Sourou Valley in the cercle of Bankass in the Commune of Baye. Again, this IBA has mainly savana birds.
The Gourma is a reserve area that spreads over two cercles in the Mopti region and part of Tomboctou. In Mopti, the Gourma zone spills over parts of the cercles of Bandiagara and Douentza. It is a circular zone that encompasses various villages such as Boni and Gossi. From the city of Douentza, the Gourma reserve is approximately 30km north. There is only public transport to that general area along the guidron, (main paved Bamako-Gao road), but where the elephants and wildlife are actually located, the only transport available is rental of private 4x4s.
The elephants migrate in a circular pattern that includes (mostly) Mali, and then dips down a little into northern Burkina Faso.
Though the elephants do migrate southeast to Burkina and are found in villages in the cercle of Koro, it is not clear that the GSTA project’s intervention zone specifically includes the areas populated by elephants. Nevertheless, as a separate but potentially complementary activity, USFS is working with Association Malienne Pour la Conservation de la Faune et de L’Environnement (AMCFE), The WILD Foundation, and the Mali Elephant Project (MEP,) on biodiversity conservation and potential ecotourism and development activities in this region. Mission reports are available for reference upon request.
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Appendix C—Contacts
Bamako Ayisha Hydra (Haby Aicha) Graphic Industrie 223 78 10 78 39 [email protected]
Sylla Faustin Imprim Color 223 20 21 46 46 [email protected]
Joseph Future Art-plastic/metal/plastic signs 223 20-21 06 36 223 75 20 68 60
Bandiagara Mr. Fode Camara 3rd adjunct to Mayor 223 66 85 44 87
Abel Tembeley Responsible for Mask Dances (Bandiagara) 223 66 85 48 40
Djigibombo Bogoum Kassogué Campement Owner – speaks English and French 223 76 01 89 47 223 65 90 71 06 [email protected]
Dogani Beri Brahima Molla 1st adjunct to the Mayor 223 73 37 48 47
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Moussa Peleyaba 3rd adjunct to the Mayor 223 73 35 49 56
Mopti Mamadou Adama Diarra Eaux et Forêts 223 21 42 01 46 [email protected]
Seydou Karakon OMATHO 223 21 43 05 06
Sangha Aly Kodio OMATHO Contact 223 66 61 06 98 223 78 60 76 77 [email protected]
Tireli Aly Saye Campement Owner Contact for Masked Dances (Tireli) 223 30 15 39 7
Touperé Youssouf Onguiba Guide 223 75 03 99 82 223 65 74 72 81
Hama Babera Guide 223-65 87 60 74
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Appendix D—Symbols and Locations
Dogon Village Symbols & Locations • Djigibombo 9-23 o Water plant (pink flower-picture) o Across from Benoit’s campement o • Koro 9-24 o Baobab tree o By the police station • Bankass o Unable to meet with elders o • Kani Kombole 9-25 o Tree (date) next to Chief’s House (Charles has picture) o At the cross roads to village • Ennde 9-26 o Finger of God o On the way from Mopti near school • Teli 9-27 o Tortiose symbol-no picture, but I saw it and can help replicate o Entry to village where road from Kani Kombole and Ennde meet • Nomburi 9-28 o The Plateau, falaise, plaine, dune o Near the museum-market roads to other villages • Tereli 9-28 o Mayni Bird-have picture o on the road from Nomburi to here in village for security • Amani 9-30 o Rock Toguna o Near pond by Mission Culturelle Sign • Ireli 9-30 o Escalade o Chirac’s Toguna • Sangha 10-1 o Mask o ??? • Toupere 10-2 o The cave o When you leave Kendie on the main road
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• Dogani-Beri 10-2 o Palm have picture o Heading away from Bandiagara from Mayor’s office to the edge of town • Borko 10-3 o Caiman o At the crossroads into town • Bandiagara 10-4 o Bowl and Aguibou Tall building o In front of the Aguibou building
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Appendix E—Screen Capture .kmz file of Jane Goodall’s Gombe Chimp Blog in Google Earth http://www.google.com/gadgets/directory?synd=earth&hl=en&gl=&preview=on&q=jane+goodall
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Appendix F— Journal Printing Specs & Quote
Journal Specs
• 60-70 pages • 9 x 12 folded final size 9 x 6 • Rounded corners • A map at the back that is either folded in once or printed separately (please quote for both options) • If separate 8.5 x 17.5 accordion fold • A pocket on back cover open at top and left hand side • Text paper should be 80# • Text pages will be full color • Map will be full color • Nothing in document or on cover will be full bleed • Cover 2-4 color • Binding-saddle stitched (staple or actual stitching-would like quote for both) • Cover-let’s discuss. I like the moleskine cover, but don’t want it to look quite so much like a paper bag • Also the text paper needs to be of a light natural tone with unobtrusive flecks.
I understand that kanafe is no longer produced here, but what about something similar to the banana paper I sent you? I want to make sure the paper choices match the feel of the pictures I sent earlier. Let’s talk about this as well. Thank you for taking the time to work on the quote for this project. I will send you a couple more pictures to help you get a better sense of the area. Thanks Win. Mona
This estimate is high-we chose the best papers and they quoted us on full size pages, which we will not have for the final product. The set up and make ready is 6,000.00 (which doesn’t change no matter how many copies are made) and 1000 copies are 3525.00. The more you have printed the more savings, but of course you have lots of books that may become out of date before they are sold.
The printing specialist, I talked to, thought that the cost; once it is put out to bid and they use the actual sheet size we want and the specific paper we end us choosing; could easily be halved. I (Mona) will go to our local paper companies and pick up paper samples that are readily available and of the quality we are looking for and send to Shawndra.
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Appendix G—QR Code Information Sheet
Pays Dogon Interpretive Journal & Signage Sept-Oct 2010 Mission Report 47 7 things you should know about... QR Codes
Scenario What is it? Sid, Boris, and Kristi are working on their joint senior QR codes are two-dimensional bar codes that can contain any project in Urban Planning. The topic must address this alphanumeric text and often feature URLs that direct users to sites year’s theme, “Connecting with the Community,” and where they can learn about an object or place (a practice known requires a proof of concept with a public presentation. as “mobile tagging”). Decoding software on tools such as camera Sid wonders if they could use QR codes to provide infor- phones interprets the codes, which represent considerably more mation at city gardens. “We can post QR codes next to information than a one-dimensional code of similar size. The codes the plants or garden spaces,” he suggests. “Then any- are increasingly found in places such as product labels, billboards, one with a QR code reader on their phone can scan the and buildings, inviting passers-by to pull out their mobile phones code to access a website with additional information.” and uncover the encoded information. Codes can provide tracking At the team’s second meeting, Boris reports that three 1information for products in industry, routing data on a mailing label, public gardens offer free Wi-Fi access—the roof garden or contact information on a business card. Small in size, the code at city hall, the botanical garden, and the heirloom herb pattern can be hidden or integrated into an esthetically attractive garden outside the university library—and they choose image in newspapers, magazines, or clothing. the garden at city hall.
They work with the City Hall Garden Docents, volun- Who’s doing it? teers who act as visitor guides on Saturdays, and ob- QR codes are popular in Japan, tain permission to post signs with codes in the garden. where they are used for commercial They also invite garden workers and volunteers from tracking, logistics, inventory con- throughout the city to their public demonstration. Kristi trol, and advertising. Their popular- interviews the docents about the questions that visi- ity is climbing in Europe, the United tors most commonly ask. The students begin compil- States, and Canada as people in- ing information on plant names, uses, culture, and the creasingly use mobile phones to specific requirements and benefits of rooftop gardens. access 3G networks. So far, their Boris writes up the content and posts it to the web. Sid application in learning has been ELI QR Code Idea Factory generates a QR code for each URL or information mod- limited, used by some instructors in ule and posts them around the garden. slide presentations to direct students to websites where the slide deck is hosted or where supplementary information can be found. On the day of demonstration, Boris and Kristi set up a In England, a grant-funded venture led by Andy Ramsden at Bath booth near the entrance where guests can download 2University investigates ways to use QR codes in academic set- QR reader software if their phones don’t have it. Guests tings. As other institutions have signed on to the effort, Ramsden who don’t have web-enabled cell phones are paired has conducted “idea factories” (brainstorming sessions) at those with other guests who have them to move through the campuses, resulting in a number of proposed uses for QR codes, exhibit. In one group, no one has a web-enabled cell including putting them into library books with the renewal phone phone, so Sid accompanies them. The guests find the number encoded (University of Gloucester) or putting them in immediate access to information about the plants valu- equipment rooms where they might be scanned to access a how- able, and all are excited by the potential of QR codes. to manual (University of Leicester). Some see potential in using QR They quickly begin making suggestions for ways QR codes to direct students to RSS feeds or lecture podcasts. codes could be used in garden settings. The docents even say they would like to use the codes to check de- In physical learning spaces, QR codes might indicate what types tails when visitors ask the best time to set out certain of learning take place in each area or provide a link to scheduling plants, how to combat specific pests, or how much of software that offers the opportunity to reserve a room. QR codes an energy saving could come from a rooftop garden. might also be effective repositories of data in problem-solving more ➭
© 2009 EDUCAUSE This work is licensed under a Creative Commons www.educause.edu/eli Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ Find more titles in this series on the ELI website QR Codes www.educause.edu/eli
activities involving role play or alternate reality games (ARGs). In or register for updates or coupons. In academic uses, QR codes Australia, for instance, a promotional ARG for the movie Quantum on student tests could help ensure anonymity in grading. Posted of Solace used QR codes to hide clues in the unfolding game. next to artwork or in musical or theatrical programs, QR codes might lead students to open forums where they could join in com- munity discussions about what they’ve heard or seen. In scientific How does it work? endeavors, QR codes could take the place of printed labels; at- Data can be translated into a QR code by any QR generator, many tached to lab work, samples, or medication options, they could of which are available free online. Users simply enter the data to be preserve confidentiality of participant names. translated, and the generator produces the code, which can then be displayed electronically or in printed format. Decoding the infor- QR codes may presage other applications that use mobile devices mation can be done with any mobile camera phone that has a QR to decode information. Already one popular mobile application in- reader, which is freely available online for most devices. Once the terprets the music signature of a song it “hears” and provides the software is loaded, a user points the cell phone camera toward the name of the work and artist. New applications might read photo- code and scans it. The software interprets the code, and the cell 6graphs and employ face-recognition technology to provide a name phone will either display the text or ask for permission to launch a and related data or identify a pictured object and direct users to browser to display the specified web page. online resources about it. The technology may evolve so that data 3 embedded in a QR code can be interpreted differently by different Why is it significant? viewers; that is, passwords or biometric data might open more The idea of linking spaces to information is not new, but QR codes data to some authorized users, or viewer signatures may unlock combine simple creation with easy access to QR code readers. different information sets. As a result, QR codes might kick-start widespread thinking and innovation around information connected to locations and objects. What are the implications for In museums, for example, QR codes might appear on plaques beside art displays, directing patrons to information about the art- teaching and learning? work and the artist. QR codes posted on a building might offer QR codes link the physical world with the virtual by providing on- visitors the history of the building itself or the corner on which it the-spot access to descriptive language and online resources for stands, and they might give the architect’s name or discuss the objects and locations. In this way, the codes support experien- events happening in the city when the building was built. At bo- tial learning, bringing scholarship out of the classroom and into tanical gardens, codes could direct users to information about the physical experience. They offer expanded pedagogical value in medicinal uses or food value of botanical specimens on display exercises that draw students into creating and contributing con- or offer data about the climate or soil requirements necessary for 7tent. In history projects, students might research information about 4certain plants to thrive. Because QR codes are so inexpensive, local sites, write up what they have learned, generate QR code they might even be printed as stickers and temporarily added to for their content, post the codes at key destinations, and tour the campus signs for a class activity. sites where a network of information from other students has been posted. Such exercises move students outside the bounds of the campus and into city centers, historic neighborhoods, and manu- What are the downsides? facturing districts, where learning becomes a matter of explora- Not everyone is aware of QR codes. As a result, not everyone who tion. Because much of the information in QR codes is browser- sees one will know to pull out a cell phone and take a picture based, students engaged in study abroad can use the codes to of the matrix. Not everyone owns a camera phone, and because read websites in their native languages or turn a local destination many cell phones do not include a QR reader, the software must into a foreign-language lesson. Finally, the greatest importance of be downloaded and tested. Moreover, a QR code might direct us- QR codes could lie not in their specific use, which may be su- ers to a website that does not display properly on a cell phone. perseded by newer codes and interpreters, but in the opportuni- Taken as a whole, it is impractical to expect students to be able ties they offer for moving away from keyboards as input devices in to capture coursework information from QR codes without some learning environments. support. Beyond that, while projects like the one at Bath University 5are investigating potential uses, the challenge remains to find ap- propriate and effective pedagogical uses of QR codes. Where is it going? QR codes can store quite complex information in a small matrix. As awareness grows about how useful they are, we can expect to see them in more public venues. Commercial packaging will display codes with detailed nutritional information or links to web- sites where users can play the latest product-associated game www.educause.edu/eli February 2009
Appendix H—Campement Price Lists
Pays Dogon Interpretive Journal & Signage Sept-Oct 2010 Mission Report 50 PRIX DES CAMPEMENTS DANS LES VILLAGES DE LA ZONE A (triangle Bandiagara – Kani Kombolé – Dourou)
Prix par personne en CFA Taxe de visite par personne et par village : 500 CFA Outre les campements mentionnés, certains villages disposent d’autres petits campements privés
Village Campements Nuit Petit-déj. Repas Contacts DJIGUIBOMBO LA FALAISE 1'000 1'000 2'500 66 85 43 97 LA FAMILLE 2'000 750 2'500 65 90 71 06 / 76 01 89 47 GINNA 1'000 750 2'500 KANI- KOMBOLE FROMAGER 1'000 750 2'500 ARNEME 1'000 750 2'500 HAROUNA 1'000 750 2'500 TELI ALY 1'000 750 2'500 DAVID 1'000 750 2'500 BOUREIMA 1'000 750 2'500 ENDE ALY 2’000 - 4'000 1'000 2’000– 6’000 ALAKALA 1'000 750 2'500 HOGON 1'000 750 2'500 YABATALOU MAMADOU 1'000 750 2'500 du CHEF 1'000 750 2'500 GARIBOU 1'500 1’000 2'500 INDELOU AMBORGO 1'000 750 2'500 ABEL 1'000 750 2'500 BEGNEMATO DANIEL 1'000 750 2'500 MICHEL 1'000 750 2'500 KONSOGOU ABRAHAM 1'000 750 2'500 DOUROU ALY 1'000 750 2'500 SOULEIMAN 1'000 750 2'500 ALY PAÏ 1'000 750 2'500 GIMMINI ASSOU 1'000 750 2'500 BENJAMIN 1'000 750 2'500 GOLOMBO PORTES DU SOLEIL 2'000 1’000 2'500 7 612 03 36 CAMPEMENTS DANS LES VILLAGES DE LA ZONE B (Sangha et le long de la Falaise, de Nombori à Bamba) Prix par personne en CFA Taxe de visite par personne et par village : 1’000 CFA Outre les campements mentionnés, certains villages disposent d’autres petits campements privés Campements Nuit Petit-déj. Repas Contacts ______SANGHA HOTEL–CAMPEMENT clim + vent 15'000 - 30'000 2’000 4’000 21 44 20 28 FEMME DOGON 7'000 1’000 2'500 21 44 20 13 CASTOR clim + vent 12’500 2’000 3’000 21 44 20 04 GUIRIA vent 7'500 1'000 2’500 21 44 20 14 ______BANANI du CHEF 2'000 1’500 3'000 - 4’000 ISSA 2’000 - 5’000 1’500 3’000 - 4’000 CAMELEON wc int 2’500 -15’000 2'000 4’000 - 5’000 ______IRELI EMILE 4'000 - 5’000 2’000 4'000 - 5’000 BAOBAB 4'000 - 5’000 2’000 4'000 - 5’000 ______AMANI du CHEF 4’000 - 5'000 2'000 4'000 - 5’000 EMMANUEL 4’000 - 5'000 2'000 4'000 - 5'000 ______TIRELI APOMI 5'000 2’000 4'000 - 5’000 du CHEF 5'000 2’000 4'000 - 5’000 ELIE 5'000 2’000 4'000 - 5’000 ______KOMOKANI SOUMEILA 2’500 1’500 3'000 - 3’500 du CHEF 2’500 1’500 3'000 - 3’500 ______NOMBORI PHILIPPE 3’000 1’500 3'000 - 3'500 POTASSE 3’000 1’500 3'000 - 3'500 DAOUDA 3’000 1’500 3'000 - 3'500 ______KOUNDOU AMITIE vent 4’000 - 15’000 2’000 4'000 - 5’000 7 635 26 95 du CHEF 1'000 2’000 3'500 - 4’000 ______
YENDOUMA du CHEF 5'000 1’500 4'000 -4'500 Dr ABLAYE TEME 5'000 1’500 4'000 -4'500 79 03 87 99 EMILE 5'000 1’500 4'000 -4'500 TERYA 5'000 1’500 4'000 -4'500 ______YOUGA-PIRI du CHEF 4'000 1’500 3’000 ______YOUGA-NA du CHEF 4'000 1’500 3’000 ______YOUGA DOUGOUROU 3'000 1'500 3’500 ______IBI du CHEF 4'000 1'500 3’000 BANGALA 4'000 1'500 3’000 ______BAMBA du CHEF 3'000 1'500 3’000
______
Syndicat d’Initiative et de Tourisme de Bandiagara SITB Organisme local de tourisme autorisé tel 00 223 65 92 19 59 e-mail : [email protected] ______
GUIDAGE AU PAYS DOGON
TARIFS indicatifs
1. Guidage par un guide agréé, par jour (½ journée : 60% du tarif journalier)
- 1 personne, par jour 8’000 CFA - 2 à 3 personnes, par personne 5’000 CFA - de 4 à 5 personnes, par personne 4’000 CFA - dès 6 personnes, forfait 22'000 CFA
2. Repas, par personne dans les villages et petits campements *
Zone A De Djiguibombo à Dourou - Riz, pâtes ou couscous, sans viande, par personne 1'500 CFA - idem, avec viande ou poulet 2'500 CFA - Petit-déjeuner (pain ou galettes, confiture, café ou thé, lait) 1’000 CFA
Zone B De Dourou à Douentza - Riz, pâtes ou couscous, sans viande, par personne 2'000 CFA - idem, avec viande ou poulet 3'000 CFA - Petit-déjeuner (pain ou galettes, confiture, café ou thé) par personne 1'500 CFA - A Sangha, repas du guide en sus
3. Nuit dans les villages et petits campements *
Zone A par personne et par nuit 1'000 CFA Zone B par personne et par nuit 3'000 – 7'500 CFA
4. Taxes de visite * Zone A par personne et par village 500 CFA Zone B par personne et par village 1'000 CFA Songo par personne 1'000 CFA Songo, guide villageois obligatoire, forfait 1'000 CFA Niongono 500 CFA
5. Portage des bagages, par bagage et par jour * 2'500 CFA
6. Location d’une charrette et d’un âne * Par demi-journée / journée 3’750 / 7'500 CFA
* Prix indicatifs, sujets à changements
- Paiement : ½ à la commande, le solde à la fin du voyage - La journée commence à l’aube et se termine après le repas du soir - Les repas et nuitées du guide sont compris dans le contrat, sauf à Sangha - les repas du guide sont cependant à la charge des clients s’ils ne mangent pas dans un campement
Appendix I—Sign Materials
Pays Dogon Interpretive Journal & Signage Sept-Oct 2010 Mission Report 55 MaterialsOutdoor and Interpretive Processes of Signs Outdoor Interpretive Signs
– CA State Parks So what material is best?
• It all depends. With today’s technology you can print on anything. – Big Picture
• Nothing is vandal proof and everything requires maintenance Exterior Grade High Pressure Laminate
(+) Good Color – Resistant to moisture and temp. Will not deteriorate if surface is vandalized. Custom shapes are possible. Vandal resistant. Self supporting at ½” thickness. 10-year guarantee.
(-) 200 dpi- softer than some other methods Can be vandalized with sharp objects
Aprox. $60-75 per sq. ft. @ ½” thick Fiberglass Embedded
(+) Full Color and resolution. – CA State Parks Vandal resistant. 10-year guarantee.
(-) Must be framed or supported. Problems with fading, yellowing and material breakdown in high sun areas Can be damaged by sharp objects Aprox. $40-50 per sq. ft. @ 1/6’thick Fused Polycarbonate
(+) Similar to High Pressure Laminate but allows for 1400 dpi resolution. Image is protected under sacrificial coat. Made of 65% recycled content Can be backlit
(-) The top surface is softer than – Rhino, Aardvark HPL so it damages easily. It can Graphic Solutions be rubbed out. Aprox. $60-75 per sq. ft. @ ½” thick Engraved Stone
(+) Tactile Elegant look Handles sun, moisture and temperature changes well
(-) Can be cracked or broken with a heavy blunt force – Stone Imagery Aprox. $125-$250 per sq. ft. Photo-Etched Stone
(+) Elegant look High amount of detail Handles sun, moisture and temperature changes well
(-) Can be cracked or broken with a heavy blunt force. Can be refinished if – Stone Imagery vandalized by spray paint
Aprox. $350 per sq. ft. Porcelain Enamel
– Jerry Stone & Associates (+) Beautiful color and image quality Resistant to vandalism by painting or engraving. – Image supplied by 25 year warranty KVO –Leslie Stone and Associates (-) Cost Must be framed or supported
Damage due to heavy blunt force – Deneen Powell Atelier that cracks the surface and starts corrosion Aprox. $250 per sq. ft. Laminated Print
Flat bed printing technology allows you to print directly onto materials up to 1- ½” thick
(+) Cost effective Claim- 2 years life span
(-) Not typically vandal resistant so use in a controlled area –Stone Imagery Vinyl - Prints & Banners
You can either print digitally on on vinyl or use solid color vinyl.
(+) Quick production time and low cost Good temporary solution at 2 – 7 years For a panel use PVC backer Available at most local sign shops
(-) Must be framed or supported if thinner stock Prone to fading and not very vandal resistant Aprox. $10-$13 per sq. ft. Hand Made Routed Wood
(+) Warm, rustic and hand made feel. Low maintenance Tactile and easy to touch up
(-) 1” high text is min. size Clean and seal annually. Schmeeckle Reserve No warranty but estimate 3-5 yrs – before artwork needs to be repainted Can be damaged by sharp objects and some chemicals. Aprox. $50-$65 per sq. ft. @ 2” thick cedar Machine Routed Wood
(+) More of a precision feel Finer detail is possible Tactile and easy to touch up Can be reproduced easily if needed
(-) Warranty NA Estimate 3-5 yrs before artwork needs to be repainted – Wood Products Signs Can be damaged by sharp objects and some chemicals. Aprox. $50-$65 per sq. ft. @ 1” Exterior Plywood Routed Plastic
– Schmeeckle Reserve
(+) Tactile Recycled material
(-) Low maintenance
Somewhat limited on colors – Wood Product Signs Can be damaged with sharp objects Aprox. $50 per sq. ft. Other Materials
Porcelain Tile
– Rohnert Park Library, – Images supplied by Tile Artisans Aprox. $150 per sq. ft. Other Materials
Metal • There is a lot of creativity possible when a material is in the right hands
– Deneen Powell Atelier Frame Example