Tout va bien

Seydou Konaté is thirty-seven. Four years ago, he set up as a country doctor in Nongon in southern Mali. His surgery is in a remote village, which is almost inaccessible in the rainy season. His wife and children have stayed in Bamako. Seydou rides his motorbike from hamlet to hamlet to treat the sick, control the well water and hold HIV information meetings. He visits the local healer, both his “colleague” and patient, and has the herbs and charms explained to him. At his dispensary, he jokingly reassures people, scolds those reluctant to consult him, and struggles against the elements and scarcity. For Seydou, "development" is not just a matter of humanitarian aid, but also a daily question and practices, as close as possible to those he serves.