some things

Bamako doesnt have that many billboards, but if you see one, you can be sure that it will be for one of three things: a bank, AIDS, or powdered milk. If its for AIDS it will usually just be a big ribbon that says "SIDA: pensez-y!" (AIDS: think about it!) and Im not sure how effective that is if people dont know what it is. There are also some pretty great AIDS billboards that have a picture of a condom with two fingers in it. Im also not sure how effective that is. The powdered milk ads are the best though, because despite all the cows there are, everyone here just drinks powered milk. My favorite is for this brand called Laicran. Its just this picture of this woman smiling and below her it says "Laicran: la plus belle preuve d'amour" (Laicran: the most beautiful proof of love).

The best word that weve learned in Bambara is "ka jigin" which has 3 definitions: get down, get off, give birth. Its like a Malian public service announcement and I think its more effective than the AIDS billboards.