Since CARE has come to her village to help rice farmers, she is hopeful that her income will increase. As the wife of a blacksmith, it is customary for her to take up the craft. Such strange and wonderful traditions are found across Malian society. Bozo women, for example, cannot fish from boats. Only Bozo men can use boats.
Custom dictates that Bozo women fish from the river's banks, using specially designed baskets.
Bella tribesmen are the traditional servants of the Tuareg. Blacksmiths cannot marry Fulani women, nor Dogon people marry Bozo. The list of these curious social separations of tribe, of profession and of caste go on and on, and are rooted in ancient, feudal systems that were thought to guarantee the smooth running of society. They form the rich layers of complexity that make Mali such a fascinating place. Another is the extraordinary long memory of Malians themselves.