Waiting for Rain

Author(s): Lewis W. Lucke

Location(s): Mali

Genre(s): Nonfiction

Era(s): Contemporary

“Waiting for Rain” is the story of a young, novice development professional who leaves the comfort of the United States to live and work in Mali, one of West Africa’s poorest but most interesting and authentically African countries. Mali boasts one of the lowest GDPs and some of the most intractable development challenges in the world, but it is the home of Timbuktu, the Niger River, Dogon cliff dwellers and the mud mosques of Mopti. Though the country is culturally fascinating, can you ever get over the shock of working in such an impoverished country where life expectancy is 41 and a major drought is just coming to an end? What kind of development programs can you hope to put together to effectively address the problems of Mali. And since this is important work that touches the lives of real people, when all is said and done, will you have succeeded or not? “Waiting for Rain” may be of interest to those interested in other cultures, travel, Africa, international social issues and development buffs. Without being overly technical, the book treats a serious subject–economic development–while viewing the personal side of living and working in Mali.

Review this Book