Conserving Cultural Heritage with Microcredit: An Impact Assessment of the CultureBank in Fombori, Mali
The Dogon CultureBank of Fombori
Submitted to The African Cultural Conservation Fund
Bamako, Mali
by
Tara F. Deubel
Graduate Research Assistant
Dr. Mamadou Baro
Assistant Research Professor
Department of Anthropology
Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology
University of Arizona
December 15, 2002
Acknowledgements
We wish to thank our funders, the West African Research Association and the School of Behavioral Sciences Research Institute at the University of Arizona for supporting this research. We extend sincere gratitude to all those who provided invaluable assistance including Todd V. Crosby, Daouda Keita, and the staff of the African Cultural Conservation Fund in Bamako; Mark Berryman, former Peace Corps Volunteer in Fombori; the CultureBank staff in Fombori: Amadou Aya, Diadié Ongoiba, Hawa Ongoiba, Aissata Ongoiba, and Alou Hama Cissé; to the interview respondents who participated in the study, and finally to all the community members of Fombori for their gracious hospitality and warm welcome.
Table of Contents
I. Executive Summary………………………………………………………….4
II. Responding to Cultural Heritage Loss in Mali: The CultureBank Impetus………………………………………………………………………5
III. Establishment of the CultureBank in Fombori……..…………….…….…...7
IV. Research Objectives & Methodology……………………………….……....8
V. Overview of CultureBank Activities, 1997-2002…………………………...9
IV.1 Provision of Microcredit Loans……..……………………….….9
IV.2 CultureBank Collection of Cultural and Historical Objects…...10
IV.3 Community Activities……...…………………………………..12
IV.4 Tourism………………………………………………………....14
VI. Economic Impacts………………………………………………………….15
V.1 General Profile of Sample Population…………………………..15
V.2 Profile of Female Borrowers…………………………………….17
V.3 Profile of Male Borrowers………………………………………19
V.4 Average Annual Profits from Income-Generating Activities
Before and After Loan Assistance………………………………20
V.5 Summary of Quantitative Results……………………………….22
VII. Social and Cultural Impacts………………………………………………..23
VIII. Recommendations …………………………………………………………25
IX. Appendices…………………………………………………………………28
X. References………………………………………………………………….31
List of Figures
Figure 1: Type of Objects in the CultureBank Collection………………..…...…10
.
Figure 2: Type of Objects Used as Collateral in Sample Population………..…..12
Figure 3: Participation in Community Activities...……………………………....14
Figure 4: Requests for Future Activities……...……………………………...…..14
Figure 5: Average Annual Loan Amount for Sample Population….....................16
.
Figure 6: Average Annual Loan Amount Disaggregated by Gender….…...……16
Figure 7: Average Annual Revenue from Income-Generating Activities
Before and After Loans…......……………………………………….…17
Figure 8: Loan Statistics for Female Participants in
Sample Population…………………..…………………...…...……....18
Figure 9: Women’s Income-Generating Activities
Using CultureBank Microcredit……………………………………....18
Figure 10: Loan Statistics for Male Participants in
Sample Population……………….. …..……………………….……...19
Figure 11: Men’s Income-Generating Activities
Using CultureBank Microcredit …..………………………………...…20
Figure 12: Paired t-Test Results…………………………………………………...21
Figure 13: Correlation between Total Amount Borrowed and Average
Weekly Revenue After Loans………………………………………….22
Figure 14: CultureBank Benefits Most Frequently Cited by Participants………….23
I. Executive Summary
This study presents an assessment of the social, economic and cultural impacts of the CultureBank in Fombori, Mali, based on field research in 2002. The CultureBank is a local initiative started in 1997 to conserve cultural heritage through the provision of small business loans to community members. Participants obtain credit by using cultural objects as collateral and the objects are conserved and publicly displayed in the CultureBank museum collection. This innovative approach to microcredit provides a financial incentive for cultural conservation in a rural community.
Over the life of the project, the CultureBank has provided 451 microcredit loans[1] with objects as collateral to seventy total borrowers (60% women and 40% men). The average loan amount has steadily increased every year. Loans are used for small enterprise development, mainly in the weekly market in Douentza, a larger nearby town. Women commonly use funds to buy and resell millet and other grains while the most common activity for men is livestock trade. The study shows that the average annual profits from these activities has increased by 51% and 70% respectively for community members in the sample who have taken loans.
The rate of loan reimbursement for all women borrowers is 97%, while men borrowers reimburse at a lower rate of 90%. Other important differences exist for male and female borrowers. Within the sample population used in this study, the average annual amount of men’s loans is 78% greater than women’s loans. Men’s average annual earnings from income-generating activities with loan funds are also 67% higher than women’s earnings. Thus while women represent the majority of borrowers and reimburse at a higher rate, they have less total loan funds at their disposal than men.
Statistical analysis demonstrates that there is a significant increase in annual profits from income-generating activities after participants received loan assistance from the CultureBank. In addition there is a significant correlation between the total amount of loan funds borrowed and average annual revenue from income-generating activities. [2] The CultureBank has offered important financial benefits to the community of Fombori.
The CultureBank has also had positive social and cultural impacts in the community, most notably by fostering awareness of Dogon history and cultural heritage, promoting the conservation of cultural resources in the local community, and increasing social capital among participants. The CultureBank collection currently contains 440 objects and has received over 2000 visitors from 1997-2002.
The study concludes with several recommendations aimed to increase the long-term sustainability and capacity-building strategies of the CultureBank in Fombori and in other communities in Mali that are currently establishing new CultureBank sites with the assistance of the African Cultural Conservation Fund in Bamako, Mali.
II. Responding to Cultural Heritage Loss in Mali: The CultureBank
Impetus
From early European explorers, slave traders, and colonial officers to modern-day tourists and art collectors, Western appropriation of African art has a long and varied history. National treasures from throughout the African continent can presently be found gracing the exhibition halls of Western museums, galleries and private homes. Although the loss of material cultural heritage is a problem facing all African countries, the process has been particularly acute in the West African nation of Mali where the pillage and looting of archaeological sites and the large-scale exportation of cultural objects is a cause of serious national and international concern.[3]
The expansion of the tourist industry in Mali in recent decades and the rising value of African art in the international market are key factors driving cultural heritage loss. In a country beset by severe economic constraints, Malians often resort to selling pillaged artifacts and personal family heirlooms to antique dealers, art collectors, and tourists as a strategy of income generation. Through informal trade networks, Malian antique dealers purchase objects or, in some cases, employ others to steal or loot artifacts from rural areas. These middlemen bring pieces to urban centers where they are sold to foreign customers and transported out of Mali.[4] Formal laws have been enacted to curtail this trade, such as the Malian export bans passed in 1985 and 1986 and a binational accord between the United States and Mali in 1993 prohibiting American importation of antiquities, yet these measures have proven largely inadequate to halt the widespread, continuous exportation of Malian art through the black market.
The importance of material and non-material culture to development has long been underestimated. Rather than alleviating poverty, the ongoing loss of material culture in Africa has been a source of further impoverishment as it diminishes cultural resources over the long term. The role of material culture is especially important in many African cultures that rely primarily on oral traditions rather than written history for their cultural memory. In the words of Malian writer Amadou Hampaté Ba, “In Africa every elder that dies is a library that burns.” In both oral and written cultures, cultural objects embody histories and knowledge passed on through generations. When combined with the multiple complex factors behind the degradation of non-material culture in Africa, such as severe climatic fluctuations and desertification, urbanization, generational gaps, democratization, and religious change, material culture loss has led to further dissipation of Malian cultural memory. Entire knowledge frameworks are being subsumed by rapid processes of social change. These ancient knowledge frameworks are indispensable for social and psychological well-being as well as for the coherent development of African societies.
The repercussions of the vast international trade in African material culture have been especially grave for Dogon villages in Mali. Many have been almost entirely stripped of important cultural and historical items such as wooden statues, masks, and carved granary doors, due to voracious Western demands for Dogon artifacts, which are known throughout the world for their unique forms and rich symbolism. Dogon villages situated along the Bandiagara escarpment in northern Mali are especially popular destinations for Western tourists. The influx of tourist buying power has swayed many Dogon people to sell cultural objects as commodities to Malian art brokers and foreigners in exchange for hard currency.
The CultureBank in the Dogon village of Fombori, Mali is a local initiative created in response to the growing loss of the community’s material cultural heritage. In its triple role as community museum, microfinance institution, and educational center, the CultureBank employs a microcredit model to conserve cultural heritage. Cultural objects lent to the local CultureBank by community members serve as collateral for small business loans. In this way, community members retain ownership of valuable cultural objects while accruing financial benefits through renewable loan assistance. In addition to its goals of economic improvement for borrowers, the CultureBank has evolved into an important community center that sponsors a variety of activities including literacy classes, artisan workshops, and community festivals.
The CultureBank is the first institution of its kind worldwide and has strong potential for replication in other areas of Mali as well as other developing nations. Since its inception in 1997, the socioeconomic impacts of the CultureBank have not been formally assessed. The African Cultural Conservation Fund (ACCF), a non-profit organization based in Bamako, Mali, is currently managing the establishment of two new CultureBanks in central Mali with funding from the World Bank.[5] This study provides a socioeconomic impact assessment of the CultureBank in Fombori based on a six-week period of quantitative and qualitative field research conducted from June to July 2002. Funding for this study was provided by the West African Research Association based in Dakar, Senegal and Boston, Massachusetts and the School of Behavioral Sciences Research Institute at the University of Arizona. Researchers Tara Deubel and Dr. Mamadou Baro undertook this study to determine the observable impacts of the CultureBank in Fombori, and to highlight the contribution of this model to the literature on microfinance projects in the developing world and in West Africa in particular.
We would like to underline that this study is objective in nature and was not financed by the African Cultural Conservation Fund or its partners. However, it is our sincere hope that this assessment of the project’s outcomes and financial sustainability will assist ACCF in improving the CultureBank model in Fombori and at future sites.
III. Establishment of the CultureBank in Fombori
Located at the eastern base of the Bandiagara cliff in northern Mali, Fombori is a small Dogon village of approximately 1080 people residing in forty-two extended family households whose livelihood is based on subsistence agriculture.[6] Most villagers also engage in small commerce activities at a weekly market in the nearby Fulani town of Douentza (3 km). Over time the majority of Fombori’s inhabitants have ceased practicing Dogon religious traditions in favor of Islam, which is now the dominant religion of the village. Due to this shift, objects associated with Dogon rituals and ceremonies are not valued as highly as they were in the past. The growing market for material culture has prompted many people to sell family heirlooms in recent years to supplement their meager cash earnings.[7]
The original impetus for the CultureBank came from the Women’s Association of Fombori. Under the leadership of co-presidents Hawa Ongoiba and Aissata Ongoiba, the association decided to open an artisan center in 1992 with assistance from a USC Canada project based in Douentza, Mali (under the Gestion d’Amenagement du Terroir program). Inspired by the example of a similar center they had visited in the Mopti region, Fombori women decorated the center with Dogon objects and displayed various arts including cloth, jewelry, and statues. The center offered lodging for visitors and thus provided a limited means by which women could earn income.
From this original idea evolved the concept of creating a community museum in Fombori in which community members could conserve and display Dogon material culture and generate income from tourists and visitors. Through the assistance of the U.S. Peace Corps, funding from USAID Mali (2,676 USD), and a 25% community contribution of labor and building materials, the Dogon Museum of Fombori was constructed in 1995. Many villagers were reluctant, however, to lend their objects to the museum and the collection remained very small. In addition, the tourist-orientation of the museum was not effective because Fombori is not on a main tourist route and revenues from admission fees were minimal. In 1997 a Peace Corps Volunteer working in the small enterprise development sector collaborated with the community of Fombori to devise a plan to make the museum both financially viable and valuable for the community and to stimulate community interest in the project. Community members decided to combine the museum’s central goal of cultural conservation with a microcredit initiative aimed at increasing villagers’ access to credit for income-generating activities. The term “CultureBank” was coined to convey the new mission and activities of the institution.[8]
Fombori’s CultureBank was formally inaugurated in May 1997 by a General Assembly of community members headed by the village chief. The institution began providing loans in December 1997 with a small initial fund of 391 USD obtained from a Small Project Assistance grant from USAID Mali. Additional funding was later contributed by the West African Museums Project (WAMP) in Dakar, Senegal (4,000 USD) and private contributions from the United States through the Peace Corps Partnership program. Since 1999 the CultureBank has operated as a financially sustainable local institution by generating loan funds exclusively from loan interest and revenues from tourism without any outside donor assistance. A board of directors consisting of eleven volunteer members (eight men and three women) from Fombori meets on a monthly basis to oversee all management activities. The CultureBank is staffed daily by a coordinator from Douentza who manages the collection and leads guided tours and a guard who watches over the CultureBank grounds during closed hours. The loan manager and the president of the board also staff the CultureBank on a part-time basis.
The CultureBank is unique among microcredit institutions in its use of cultural objects as loan collateral. In exchange for every object placed in the CultureBank of Fombori, individuals gain eligibility for small business loans over a four to six month period at three percent interest per month. The amount of the loan is determined by the verifiable historical value of the piece that is assessed by the loan manager according to a questionnaire formula.[9] Upon timely loan repayment, borrowers may opt to renew their loan for an equal or greater amount, and thereby gain access to a steady stream of additional income over time. Individuals retain ownership of the objects throughout the process; they are neither sold nor exchanged at any time. Owners are encouraged to use the items in the Bank whenever the need arises, as long as they return the items to the CultureBank when not in use. The CultureBank microcredit system provides individuals with continual access to increasingly large business loans in contrast with the finite, short-term profits gained by selling objects.
By applying a microcredit model to the field of cultural conservation, the CultureBank provides capital for villagers to invest in non-agricultural activities with the objectives of diversifying the local economy and stimulating the growth of small enterprise in the informal sector. Another intended benefit of the intervention is an increase in social capital by promoting contact between villagers and joint involvement in income-generating activities.
III. Research Objectives & Methodology
The central objective of this study was to evaluate and assess the economic, social, and cultural impacts of the CultureBank project in Fombori, Mali from 1997-2002. To measure economic impacts, we collected quantitative data from individual borrowers regarding loan history, use of loan funds, and average profits from commerce activities before and after receiving loan assistance. This data provided the basis to determine if there is a statistically significant change in income generation patterns that can be attributed to the CultureBank intervention. Measures of the social and cultural impacts of the project were primarily evaluated on the basis of qualitative interviews and ethnographic participant observation in village and CultureBank activities. These measures included the number of objects conserved by the interviewee in the CultureBank; the number, frequency, and level of participation in activities sponsored by the CultureBank; the extent of increased contact between community members; and local perceptions of cultural heritage, cultural conservation, tourism, microcredit, and the CultureBank’s role in the community.
The study objectives were introduced to the community of Fombori at a village meeting facilitated by Mr. Amadou Aya, President of the CultureBank Board of Directors. During the first week, we gathered information concerning the total number of participants in the project and the loan history of each participant as recorded by the loan manager. The research methodology consisted of structured interviews with the assistance of a Dogon interpreter administered during five weeks (June 5 - July 7, 2002) with a stratified random sample of thirty participants (out of seventy total participants) who have obtained loans from the CultureBank using objects as collateral. The sample was stratified by gender (60% women and 40% men) to reflect the distribution of the overall participant population. Selection was based on a random number designation to ensure the validity of statistical tests. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with key staff members of the CultureBank, including the board president, coordinator, loan manager, and the village chief.
Research in the CultureBank collection consisted of a comprehensive inventory of all objects in the galleries, including specific information concerning the provenance (if known), history, function, and symbolism of each piece. Finally, we utilized the anthropological method of ethnographic participant observation to understand dynamics of household and family life in Fombori as well as the everyday workings of the CultureBank and the interactions between community members, CultureBank staff, and tourists who visited at the time of the study. These observations were recorded as field notes. This combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods provided a comprehensive approach in assessing the multilevel impacts of the project.
IV. Overview of CultureBank Activities 1997-2002
The CultureBank of Fombori has sponsored a variety of activities for community members. The principal activity is the extension of microcredit loans to individual borrowers who use objects as collateral. In addition to providing microcredit, the CultureBank has amassed a collection of 440 objects and has sponsored community activities including literacy classes, artisan and conservation workshops, technical exchanges, historical research and documentation, theater performances, and community festivals. These activities have had positive economic, social, and cultural impacts on the community of Fombori and the surrounding area.
IV.1 Provision of Microcredit Loans
CultureBank loans provide participants with access to capital that enables them to improve or create enterprises and thereby diversify sources of income in an agriculture-based economy. Since 1997, the CultureBank has made 451 loans[10] with objects as collateral worth a total of 6,540,020 FCFA (10,061 USD) to seventy individual borrowers (60% women and 40% men) at three percent interest per month. The average loan size is 14,500 FCFA (22 USD).[11] The value of the original loan is determined by the amount of verifiable historical information that the owner can provide about his/her object using a questionnaire formula.[12] Depending on the number of questionnaire responses, the loan manager calculates and assigns the loan value, which can increase upon renewal of the loan. The reimbursement period is four or six months with most borrowers opting for four months. The rate of reimbursement has averaged 94% over the life of the project and women reimburse at a higher rate than man (97% reimbursement for women compared to 90% for men). Of the collateralized loans, at present there are thirty-one active loans worth a total of 588,410 FCFA (905 USD). Twenty-nine overdue loans are worth 804,475 FCFA (1,238 USD). Nine of these loans (30%) are for women while twenty (70%) are for men. The average overdue loan is 27,740 FCFA (43 USD), roughly double the size of the average loan in general which suggests that loans of higher value are less likely to be repaid on time.
Beginning in May 2000, as an experiment, the bank also provided loans without requiring objects as collateral. Fifty-five “uncollaterized” loans worth a total of 2,741,390 FCFA (4,217 USD) were made to 26 individual borrowers (77% male and 23% female). The majority of these borrowers were local merchants who received loans for a period of eight months at three percent interest per month. The average loan size is 50,000 FCFA (77 USD) and the reimbursement rate is 85%. This lower reimbursement rate can be attributed to the higher value of the loans and the absence of collateral. There are presently 10 active uncollateralized loans worth a total of 551,800 FCFA (849 USD). Eight of these were overdue at the time of the study (worth a total of 820,000 FCFA or 126 USD). Two (25%) of these overdue loans are for women and six (75%) are for men. The average overdue loan is 82,000 FCFA (126 USD). This large overdue amount has decreased the capital available for new loans and created a serious problem for the bank.
The bank currently has 518,500 FCFA (798 USD) available for new loans. As of July 1, 2002 the total loan fund including available funds, active loans and overdue loans was 3,283,185 FCFA (5,051 USD). In total, the CultureBank has provided 9,281,410 FCFA (14,279 USD) worth of loan funds to the community since 1997.
IV.2 The CultureBank Collection of Cultural & Historical Objects
The CultureBank of Fombori houses a diverse collection of 440 objects displayed in three main galleries. Each gallery is organized around a common theme: objects of general historical significance that reflect information on the culture and history of the Dogon and Tellem peoples (including archaeological artifacts and ritual statues); objects related to women’s roles in Dogon culture (e.g., pots, calabashes, household objects, jewelry, cloth, and decorative items), and objects related to men’s roles (e.g., weaponry, musical instruments, horse equipment, and masks). Pieces in the CultureBank come from thirteen surrounding villages. One way in which objects from other villages enter Fombori is through marital ties since men from Fombori often marry women from other villages and bring them to settle in the husband’s home village, according to custom. Figure 1 shows the contents of the CultureBank collection as a whole. Each type of object is listed below with the total count and the percentage of the collection. The most common item in the CultureBank is jewelry, which comprises 44% of the total collection.
Figure 1: Objects in CultureBank Collection
Type of Object Number Percent of Collection
|
jewelry |
195 |
44% |
|
gourd |
57 |
13% |
|
household objects |
40 |
9% |
|
horse equipment |
32 |
7% |
|
cloth |
22 |
5% |
|
statues |
22 |
5% |
|
weaponry |
16 |
4% |
|
ritual objects |
14 |
3% |
|
togu na pillars[13] |
10 |
2% |
|
musical instruments |
9 |
2% |
|
archaeological artifacts |
7 |
2% |
|
pottery |
7 |
2% |
|
masks |
5 |
1% |
|
games |
3 |
1% |
|
weaving loom |
1 |
0% |
|
TOTAL |
440 |
100% |
Some objects, such as the Nassourou fertility statue pictured in appendix 1, belong to several individuals in the community and have been used to obtain collective group loans. Several members of the women’s association obtained a collective loan using the statue as collateral. The women take turns using the credit from their loan in much the same way that traditional tontines, or rotating credit associations operate. Collectively owned objects are eligible for loans of greater value.
Among the sample population, thirty-six total objects were used as collateral for loans. Each object is used to obtain a separate loan. Participants have lent between one and four objects to the CultureBank with a mean of 1.8 objects per person. The distribution of the type of objects used as collateral in the sample is displayed in figure 2. The most common items were weapons (21%), household items, (17%), jewelry (17%), and cloth (14%).
According to the CultureBank Coordinator, most people leave their objects in the CultureBank after reimbursing loans for safekeeping even if they do not opt to renew their loan. The collection operates as a “living museum,” which means that people who lend their objects are welcome and encouraged to temporarily remove them for use in ceremonies, festivals, etc. For example, during a festival held this summer, community members borrowed various drums and musical instruments from the collection and returned them after use. In this way, the pieces do not become static entities in the CultureBank but retain their currency in the cultural life of the community.
IV.3 Community Activities
The CultureBank has sponsored a variety of community activities that extend its outreach beyond the provision of loans. Through these activities, the CultureBank has established a vital presence as a community center where people can benefit from classes, workshops, and other activities that further the project goal of building knowledge and local capacity, increasing social capital and fostering awareness and pride in cultural heritage.
Literacy classes
Amadou Aya, President of the CultureBank Board of Directors, has taught a series of four literacy courses in the Dogon dialect of Jam-Si from 1998-2001. These courses had a total attendance of 104 people ages 16-38. The classes take place three times per week in the evenings over a three-month period in a classroom space at the CultureBank equipped with desks and a blackboard that accommodates approximately 20 people.
Artisan workshops
Two workshops on wood sculpture were held in Fombori in 1999 by Dogon sculptors from Kono, a village 25 km south of Fombori. The first was a more specialized workshop attended by five male participants. The second was more general and was widely attended by male participants. The CultureBank has also sponsored two trainings in soap-making techniques for women in the market town of Douentza and one training in bogolan (mud cloth) production in Fombori. In 2000 the CultureBank sponsored two women potters from Fombori to attend a pottery workshop in the regional capital of Mopti.
Conservation workshops
The National Museum of Mali in Bamako hosted a workshop on the conservation of archaeological sites and cultural objects in 2000 attended by the board president, coordinator, and administrative secretary of the CultureBank. This workshop was led by Daouda Keita, an archaeologist who formerly worked at the Institute of Human Sciences and now serves as Technical Director of The African Cultural Conservation Fund.
Technical exchanges
The CultureBank model in Fombori has inspired Malians from throughout the country to initiate similar projects and the Fombori CultureBank has hosted a series of technical exchanges facilitated by the Peace Corps to provide training on how to start a CultureBank. Participants in these exchanges came from villages in the administrative “circles” of Sikasso, Bandiagara, Kati, Koro, Loulouni, Bougouni and Dioila.
Historical research and documentation
One of the CultureBank’s important goals in conserving Fombori’s cultural heritage is to conduct historical research and documentation. In 1998, the board president and coordinator of the CultureBank worked with a local Peace Corps Volunteer to record oral histories in Jam-Si and translate them into French, English, and Fulfulde. This information is stored in the CultureBank library and includes stories of Fombori’s origins, Dogon folk tales, and information about the pieces in the CultureBank collection. This documentation serves as an important cultural resource for the community and an archive for future generations.
Theater troupe
The CultureBank coordinator organized a theater troupe in 1998 composed of Fombori youth. This troupe performs skits to inform the community about the process of obtaining a loan from the CultureBank, the conservation of archaeological sites such as the Tellem cliff dwellings, and the importance of conserving cultural objects. These skits have increased awareness of the objectives of the CultureBank and encouraged local participation. In the future the troupe would like to develop skits that deal with health issues of community concern, such as HIV/AIDS and sexually-transmitted diseases, family planning, etc.
Community festivals
A celebrated annual event held on the CultureBank grounds is a traditional wrestling competition each November at harvest time that has drawn thousands of participants and spectators from twenty-one surrounding villages. In May of 1997 and 1998 community members also organized a rain festival the beginning of the rainy season. This festival features older women who are called upon to dance, sing, and recount Dogon tales, and to remind people of Dogon customs and morals.
Figure 3 shows the level of participation in community activities by individuals in the sample population. The most frequently reported activities were soap-making workshops for women and literacy classes for women and men.
Figure 3: Participation in CultureBank Activities among Sample Population
Activity |
Number of Participants in Sample |
Percentage of Sample |
|
Soap-making workshop |
5 |
17% |
|
Literacy classes |
5 |
17% |
|
Sculpture workshop |
4 |
13% |
|
Conservation workshop |
2 |
7% |
During the interviews, participants had the opportunity to express their interest in future classes and trainings at the CultureBank. These requests are listed below in figure 4.
Figure 4: Requests for Future Activities
Activity Request |
Number of Requests in Sample |
Percentage of Sample |
|
6 |
20% |
|
|
Literacy classes |
5 |
17% |
|
Mud cloth (bogolan) |
3 |
10% |
|
Knitting |
2 |
7% |
|
Gardening |
2 |
7% |
|
Embroidery |
1 |
3% |
IV.4 Tourism
The CultureBank has received over 2000 visitors from countries throughout the world since its opening in 1997. Visitors provide additional income for the CultureBank by paying a small admission fee of 1000 FCFA (1.50 USD), which includes a guided tour of the CultureBank and the nearby Tellem cliff dwellings. The CultureBank Coordinator normally leads these tours. Several male youths in Fombori are also trained to lead tours of the cliff dwellings and Tellem burial sites. Another important source of tourist income comes from the sale of items in the CultureBank boutique where visitors can purchase artisan goods at fixed prices. Items include bogolan and indigo cloth, Dogon masks, statues, stools, pottery, and bronze figures that were recently produced by local artisans. The CultureBank sells these items on a consignment basis and retains a 10% commission. The proceeds of these sales are used to fund community activities. None of the antique pieces can be purchased from the collection under any circumstances.
VI. Economic Impacts of the CultureBank
The first objective of the study was to assess the economic impacts of the CultureBank and to determine whether the intervention has led to a significant increase in income generation for participants. During interviews, borrowers were asked to report loan history, use of loan funds, and the nature and extent of income-generating activities practiced before and after obtaining CultureBank loans.
Of the thirty participants in the survey, all reported using loan funds to increase pre-existing small commerce activities or to initiate new ones at the weekly market in the town of Douentza. For women the most common activity is buying and reselling millet grain while men engage mainly in the livestock trade (sheep, goats and cows). Most (97%) had never received formal loan assistance before the CultureBank.
V.1 General Profile of Sample Population
The sample population consisted of thirty participants from Fombori, stratified by gender according to the total borrower population (60% women and 40% men). The age range is 22-80 with a mean age of 50. Nearly half of the sample (47%) falls within the age category of 40-60 years. The average number of children per person is 6.3. All participants are married and 20% of marriages are polygynous (males have two or three wives). All participants are of the Muslim faith and Dogon ethnicity. All speak Jam-Si Dogon as their first language. Fulfulde is spoken as a second language by 77% of the sample. One-third (33%) of the sample speaks Bambara and 17% speak French. The level of schooling ranges from 0 to 5 years with an overall average of less than one year of formal education (0.7 years).
The principal occupation of all participants is agriculture, followed by commerce (90%) and animal husbandry (40%). The main agricultural crops are millet and sorghum. Other common crops include corn, peanuts, beans, fonio, and rice. Borrowers commonly spend about 9,072 FCFA (14 USD) per month on household expenses and have borrowed an average total of 127,305 FCFA (196 USD) from the CultureBank from 1997-2002. Figure 5 highlights the amount of the average microcredit loan per year for the sample population. There has been an increase in loan amounts each year, with the greatest increase (165%) occurring between 2000 and 2001.
Disaggregating this data by gender reveals that men have consistently higher average loans than women as shown in figure 6. The greatest difference occurred in 1999 when men’s average loan was 165% higher than the average for women. Taking the differences from all years into account, men’s loans have been approximately 78% higher than women’s during the course of the project.
After removing two outlier cases from the data (a shop owner and cattle trader whose average earnings fell more than two standard deviations from the mean), the annual revenue from income-generating activities before receiving loan assistance averages 91,070 FCFA (140 USD) and 181,281 FCFA (279 USD) after receiving assistance, which represents a 99% increase. Figure 7 below disaggregates this data by gender and demonstrates that men’s earnings from income-generating activities after receiving loans surpass women’s earnings by 67%.
V.2 Profile of Female Borrowers
The age range of female participants is between 22-80 with a mean of 46 years. All women are married and have an average of 4.6 children and 0.9 years of formal education. All reported small commerce as their second or third work activity after agriculture. One-third of women (33%) raise sheep or goats. Forty-four percent spin cotton and one has a vegetable garden.
The majority of female participants (89%) have taken one original loan from the CultureBank while 11% have taken original two loans.[14] Two women have received past loan assistance from a project led by USC Canada in Fombori that extends loans to groups of women borrowers. The remainder had never benefited from formal loan assistance prior to the CultureBank. Figure 8 presents loan statistics for women borrowers.
Figure 8: Loan Statistics for Female Participants in Sample Population
|
Average number of original loans |
1.1 |
|
Average number of loan renewals |
7.5 |
|
Average loan amount |
12,549 FCFA (19 USD) |
|
Average total amount borrowed |
137,019 FCFA (211 USD) |
Cultural objects commonly used as loan collateral by women borrowers include jewelry, cloth, and household objects such as calabashes, bowls, pots or cooking implements. Two-thirds of women (67%) reported that they are not aware of any objects that have been sold or lost from their households. One-third (33%) have sold or lost jewelry items from their households. None reported selling cultural objects since they began taking CultureBank loans.
All women in the sample reported using CultureBank loan funds for small commerce activities. The most common activity, practiced by two-thirds (67%) of women, consists of buying and reselling millet grain. Women buy an average of 300 kg (three sacks) of millet upon arrival at the weekly Douentza market from other women who bring millet from more distant locations and cannot spend the entire day at the market. The Fombori women resell the millet throughout the day either by sack or in smaller quantities, measured in bowls. The average annual profit from millet sales has increased by 51% after loans from 80,444 to 121,499 FCFA.
In addition to the millet trade, 17% of women earn income by raising livestock (lambs and/or goat kids are purchased and raised at home for a period of three to six months and later resold at the market). Other income-generating activities include the sale of baobab leaves, fermented sorrel seeds, cotton, beans, peanuts, and onions. Five women (28%) have initiated new commerce activities with loan funds.
Figure 9: Women’s Income-Generating Activities Using CultureBank Microcredit
Product Sold Percent of Sample
|
Millet |
67% |
|
Livestock |
17% |
|
Baobab leaves |
11% |
|
Fermented sorrel seeds |
11% |
|
Cotton |
6% |
|
Beans |
6% |
|
Peanuts |
6% |
|
Onions |
6% |
In terms of involvement with CultureBank activities, five women in the sample (28%) have participated in soap-making workshops, three have taken literacy classes in Jam-Si language and one has attended a conservation workshop sponsored by the National Museum in Bamako. One-third of female respondents requested more soap-making workshops. Other requests for future training included literacy (28%), mud cloth (bogolan) dyeing (17%), knitting and embroidery (17%), and gardening (11%).
The CultureBank has enabled women in Fombori to augment their means of income generation and has supported the expansion of their local commerce activities. A co-president of the Women’s Association of Fombori commented on the benefits of the project for women, who comprise 60% of all beneficiaries:
Before the CultureBank, it was very hard for women to get loans for their commerce. Now we are able to use the objects we have inherited from our mothers and grandmothers to obtain loans. This is very important for us because not only are we protecting our inheritance in the CultureBank, but we are able to sell more items in the weekly market and earn extra income to support our families. I think the CultureBank has really helped village women in particular and if the loans amounts increased, that would help us even more.
CultureBank loans have thus increased the economic autonomy of village women by providing them valuable access to microcredit to expand and initiate local commerce. However, economic benefits for women could be improved by increasing the loan amounts to match (or surpass) amounts received by men. This would decrease the current disparity that exists between male and female borrowers.
V.3 Profile of Male Borrowers
Male participants range in age between 40-70 with a mean of 57 years. All men are married with an average of 1.7 wives and 9 children. The mean level of formal education is 0.5 years. Following agriculture, small commerce is the most common male occupation. Seventy-five percent of male respondents engage in small commerce activities, 50% raise livestock and 25% have vegetable gardens. Other specialized trades include carpentry, masonry, blacksmithing, sculpture, and Quranic school instruction. None of the men surveyed reported receiving any formal loan assistance prior to the CultureBank. Figure 9 provides a brief summary of loan statistics for men.
Figure 10: Loan Statistics for Male Participants in Sample Population
|
Average number of original loans |
1.4 |
|
Average number of loan renewals |
10 |
|
Average loan amount |
17,261 FCFA (27 USD) |
|
Average total amount borrowed |
174,048 FCFA (268 USD) |
Cultural objects commonly used as loan collateral by men borrowers include weaponry, horse equipment, jewelry, cloth, and wooden statues. None of the men reported the loss or sale of cultural objects from their households before or after receiving loans. However, this response could be due to a reluctance to reveal this information in certain cases.
All men in the sample reported using CultureBank loan funds for small commerce activities. The most common activity is animal husbandry. Average annual revenue for this activity increased by 70% from 107,980 FCFA (166 USD) before loans to 183,664 FCFA (283 USD) after loans. In addition to the livestock trade, other means of income generation for men include the sale of fish, iron tool production by the local blacksmith, and the operation of a small shop. The boutique owner reported adding ten new items to the shop inventory after loan assistance. Six men (50%) have initiated new commerce activities with loan funds, including animal husbandry and fish sales.
Figure 11: Men’s Income-Generating Activities Using CultureBank Microcredit
Activity Percent of Sample
|
Livestock |
42% |
|
Small boutique |
8% |
|
Fish |
8% |
|
Iron tool production |
8% |
Concerning participation in CultureBank activities, four men in the sample (33%) took part in a sculpture workshop, two (17%) have taken literacy classes in Jam-Si language and one (8%) has attended a conservation workshop sponsored by the National Museum in Bamako.
V.4 Average Annual Profits from Income-Generating Activities
Before and After Loan Assistance
The next phase of the study consisted of an inferential statistical test to determine if there is a significant increase in average annual profits from income-generating activities before and after CultureBank loan assistance. The data resemble a normal distribution; therefore, a paired t-test was selected as the test statistic. Following the standard social science convention, the alpha value was set at .05 (or 95% confidence interval), meaning that any test result with a significance level (represented by p) below .05 represents a statistically significant change. Results of this test are shown in figure 13.
Figure 12: Paired t-Test Results
The results of the paired t-test demonstrate that there is a statistically significant increase in profits accrued from income-generating activities after participants received loan assistance (p=.0005). This significance level shows that the increase is a considerable one and supports the claim that the CultureBank intervention is the primary factor responsible for the change in income patterns. The results of a chi square test in figure 14 indicate that the total amount of loan funds borrowed from the CultureBank correlates with the average annual revenue from commerce activities after loans (p=.0005). This strong positive correlation suggests that further increases in loan assistance could contribute to a rise in average annual revenues.
Figure 13: Correlation between Total Amount Borrowed and Average Annual Revenue
After Loans
V.5 Summary of Quantitative Results
Through this quantitative analysis, some important trends have emerged. The average annual amount of CultureBank loans has consistently increased from 1997-2002, with the largest increase of 165% occurring between 2000 and 2001. While women represent the majority of borrowers (60%) and reimburse loans at a higher rate than men (97% compared to 90%), they have less total loan funds at their disposal than men. Women’s average annual income from commerce activities is also 67% lower than men’s after loan assistance. These factors indicate that benefits from CultureBank loan assistance are not equitable for men and women.
VI. Social and Cultural Impacts of the CultureBank
In addition to the economic benefits offered by the CultureBank, the project has also had positive social and cultural impacts on the community of Fombori and the surrounding region in three main areas: (1) fostering awareness of Dogon history and cultural heritage, (2) promoting the conservation of cultural resources in the local community, and (3) increasing social capital among participants.
All participants in the sample (100%) reported that the CultureBank has benefited the community of Fombori in various ways. The most frequent responses highlighted the provision of microcredit loans, the retention of cultural objects in the local community, and conservation of Dogon heritage as the primary benefits, as figure 15 demonstrates below.
Figure 14: Benefits Most Frequently Cited by Participants
CultureBank Benefits Percent of Respondents
|
Conservation of cultural and historical objects |
50% |
|
Microcredit loan assistance |
47% |
|
Conservation of Dogon cultural heritage and history for future generations |
40% |
For example, a fifty-two year old blacksmith stated:
“The CultureBank has helped the village infinitely and we have understood its importance. When you have a cultural object that you’ve inherited, you can bring it to the CultureBank and get a loan in return. The objects are in a safe place where they will be conserved for future generations.”
Many respondents emphasized that the project has created a greater awareness on the part of community members of the importance of local history and cultural heritage. Several cited the need to conserve their unique Dogon heritage for present and future generations, as exemplified in the following quote by a sixty-year old sculptor from Fombori who continues to sculpt ritual statues that he recalls from his youth:
“We must keep the objects that we have inherited for our children and grandchildren. That way they will be able to study our culture and learn how our ancestors lived before us. Our heritage is something that we must respect and guard well. Today people are engaged in the religion of Islam, but it’s not good to abandon the traditions of the past. The future happiness of our people will be determined by the strength of our connection to the past.”
By establishing a community CultureBank where people can view cultural objects and learn about the history, significance, and utility of the objects, the CultureBank has sparked interest in local history and intergenerational dialogue as village elders share their knowledge with younger members of the community who will be responsible for passing on the stories in the future. Many elders commented that members of the younger generation have less appreciation for history and that they are often the ones who sell Dogon objects to antique dealers to make money. Therefore, they saw the CultureBank as a positive step in teaching young people more about their history and encouraging them to value their cultural heritage. As a fifty-seven year-old Islamic leader commented, “The CultureBank is a good way for visitors and especially children in the village to learn about Dogon culture.”
Secondly, through efforts to educate the community about the importance of conserving archaeological sites and cultural objects, the CultureBank staff has promoted the goals of cultural conservation and discouraged the sale of material culture and artifacts. An elder man explained his views on conservation and the role of the CultureBank:
“When I was younger we had so many things here. There were all kinds of statues that people used to make sacrifices, but I hardly see those anymore. People have sold them for money. If you went up on the cliff in those days you could find objects left by the Tellem in the rock spaces. Now there are still bones there, but the objects are gone. I am glad that we have a CultureBank now because it is a place where we can save what is left here and remember the old ways. I was surprised when I saw so many things in the CultureBank. People used to keep those things hidden away in their houses where no one could see them. Now we have a place that helps us look back and reflect on our past history instead of losing it.”
By making cultural heritage a visible and celebrated part of community life, the Dogon CultureBank of Fombori has reinforced its value as a local resource. Community members have identified the need to protect their objects along with the cultural information and stories they contain.
A third important outcome of the project is an increase in social capital among participants. Social capital refers to relationships and networks developed among groups of people that comprise a vital part of livelihood strategies in both urban and rural settings. Although hard to measure in concrete terms, social capital has expanded in Fombori due to the increased contact among community members through CultureBank activities. In terms of income-generating activities, participants have collaborated to expand business enterprises and to initiate new ones. Through literacy classes, workshops and other community-wide activities, the CultureBank serves as a community center where individuals benefit from frequent contact with residents of Fombori and its environs, as well as the multitude of visitors that pass through Fombori each year to tour the CultureBank and cliff dwellings. Due to the geographic isolation of Dogon villages, it is common that residents of villages in close proximity may rarely see one another. The CultureBank has brought people from surrounding villages to Fombori and helped establish new social networks among inhabitants of Fombori and other towns.
In short, the CultureBank has contributed to a renewed sense of cultural pride among community members, a commitment to safeguarding cultural resources, and a growing sense of social solidarity to accomplish these goals. This sentiment is reflected well in the words of the CultureBank Board President who stated:
“We conserve our cultural heritage to know the past, the present, and the future. It is our patrimony and the importance of this heritage cannot be underestimated. Our culture is a resource that we must protect and the CultureBank is a way for us to do that. I counsel the youth of this village and elsewhere to take care of this CultureBank and hold onto all that we have worked hard to conserve in Fombori.”
VII. Recommendations
The CultureBank in Fombori has pioneered an innovative approach to cultural conservation and microcredit that links the goals of both in a new institution. By extending loans to participants who place cultural objects in the CultureBank as collateral, the bank has turned a community’s cultural heritage into a vital economic resource. Rather than selling irreplaceable antiques to antique dealers or tourists, people in Fombori have the option of using their valuable heirlooms to gain much-needed access to microcredit. This economic incentive has promoted cultural conservation in the community. Participants have used credit to significantly increase profits from commerce activities in the local marketplace. By generating more non-agricultural sources of income through loan assistance, participants have benefited from improved quality of life by investing supplementary income in areas such as the education of their children or the provision of family health care.
In our estimation, The CultureBank model has important potential for replication in other areas of Mali and other regions of the world. The African Cultural Conservation Fund in Bamako is currently working with two communities in the Bambara region of Mali to establish new CultureBanks based on the successful example of Fombori. Based on observations and information collected in this study, the following recommendations are intended to improve the performance of the CultureBank in Fombori and to guide the planning and implementation of the new projects.
Project Management
CultureBank Microcredit
The CultureBank’s microcredit program would benefit from several alterations. First, we recommend termination of loan assistance to borrowers who do not use objects as collateral. The reimbursement rate for these loans is much lower (85% compared to 94% with collateral) and this factor combined with the high loan amounts given primarily to local merchants who receive these type of loans has drained the CultureBank loan fund considerably. Without any type of collateral, no guarantee exists that these loans will be repaid and this liability endangers the continued sustainability of the institution. This problem is currently being addressed by ACCF staff members who have also recommended the elimination of loans without collateral.
Secondly, the management committee should increase efforts to collect overdue loans. There is no formal system established for this purpose and as a result delinquent borrowers lack incentive to make payments in a timely manner. A formal system could also serve to increase the rate of reimbursement, thereby freeing more funds for new borrowers. A third recommendation is the development of a savings program that would operate alongside the microcredit program. Finally, additional trainings on accounting methods would be useful for the loan manager and CultureBank staff to improve project administration and build institutional capacities.
In terms of the CultureBank collection, we recommend updating the collection catalogue and inventory system by using digital photography to catalogue the objects and enter the information in a permanent database. The current paper inventory is incomplete and does not contain records of all objects in the collection. In addition the labels for the pieces in the collections could be improved with lamination to protect them from moisture and dust. The coordinator cited the need for more storage space for objects that are not currently on display as well as technical equipment used for conservation purposes. He also noted that further work with art historians and archaeologists would enable the CultureBank to obtain more information and historical background, including dates of origin, for pieces in the collection. A final suggestion is the organization of thematic exhibitions by hosting temporary collections from other villages or community CultureBanks in Mali to foster cultural and educational exchange.
Community Activities
Baseline studies
Future studies with larger sample populations will be useful in providing more information about the short and long term economic, social, and cultural impacts of the CultureBank. Collecting baseline data from communities at the new sites will allow researchers to lead more detailed post-intervention socioeconomic impact assessments. Baseline studies should collect data on existing forms of credit, household demographics, income, and income-generating activities. Another useful facet of baseline studies would be to conduct a community-wide “cultural inventory” of all objects present in a community at the start of the project.
Concluding Note
During the course of this research, we were consistently impressed by the level of enthusiasm on the part of community members in Fombori regarding the CultureBank and its impacts. This widespread local endorsement speaks to the perceived value of the project by the population it aims to serve. The CultureBank has mobilized considerable support from local to international levels and has demonstrated its viability as a sustainable institution over the past five years. It is our hope that the results of this study will serve as a resource for The African Cultural Conservation Fund, the CultureBank in Fombori, and future projects of this nature. In closing we would like to reiterate our thanks to the residents of Fombori whose cooperation and assistance made this work possible.
Appendix 1: Photos from Museum Collection
Nassourou statue- female fertility deity Dogon twin statue
Statue of male cultivator and son Amana statue
Appendix 2: Loan Agreement Form for the
CultureBank of Fombori[15]
Village:_________________
Loan number:____________
Date:_______________
Last name:_____________________ First name:________________________
Date of birth:___________________ Place of birth:______________________
Father’s name:__________________ Mother’s name:_____________________
Loan objective:__________________
Object presented as loan guarantee:______________________________________
*In the case of failure to reimburse loan, object will be retained as the property of the CultureBank of Fombori.
Loan amount proposed by the Bank (calculated on Historical Information Form):_________
Loan period:____________
Total amount of interest (3% per month):____________
Mode of payment:_______________
Date of reimbursement:___________
*A penalty of 250 FCFA per month will be charged for overdue payments.
Signature of loan manager:____________________
Signature of witness:_________________________
Signature of borrower:________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Receipt
Loan number:___________ Date of loan:____________
Date of reimbursement:_______________
Amount due:_____________
Appendix 3: Historical Information Form[16]
Primary Question: (48%)
What is this object?
Base Questions: (4% each)
Who made this object?
For whom was this object made?
To whom has this object belonged?
When was the object made?
When did you obtain the object?
Where was it made?
Why was it made?
Why does this object interest you?
How did you obtain it?
How is it used?
Supplementary Questions (Bonus): (500 CFA each)
Do you know any stories or legends about this object or this type of object?
What do the symbols on this object signify?
Through what process was this object made?
Total %______ x ________ (loan limit) + _________ Bonus =
Amount proposed by the CultureBank: ___________
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