Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali

Monique Dembele is the 24-year-old midwife and health-care worker for the small Malian village of Nampossela. Monique strives to provide the best care possible for the women and children of a culture that is dominated by patriarchal views and beliefs. She must balance her work as the village’s sole health-care provider with her personal struggles, which include a selfish, adulterous, envious husband, two young children, a man she loves but cannot be with, and a lack of control over the money that she earns.

Above all, Monique wants to educate women about their bodies, their health, and their children’s well-being. She must contend daily with the reality of a rural African society that holds on too strongly to unfounded cultural beliefs and regards medical advancements, especially ones that benefit women, with skepticism. Monique does not let these obstacles get in her way in her desire to buck a dominant trend in Malian society: a high mortality rate for both mothers and children.

Monique’s selflessness comes at a cost, one that wears her down until her death in childbirth. But her legacy lives on in the positive medical changes brought to her village through her work and that of her family and children.

John Bidwell is a Peace Corps volunteer who falls in love with Kris Holloway. At six feet tall and with blonde hair, John stands out in the village. He is as dedicated to the Malian people as Holloway is, working tirelessly alongside her to better the lives of the villagers they come to see as family. John accompanies Holloway on many of her adventures in Mali and is her rock of support in difficult times, including when the villagers refuse to work on the birthing house.

John and Holloway get married when they return home to America. He returns with her to the village in 1999 to pay their respects to Monique’s family after her death. With John’s help, Monique’s children attend school and receive a full education.

Bakary Dembele is the dugutigi, the village chief of Nampossela. He is the heartbeat of the village, and nothing can be done or determined without his approval. He treats Kris Holloway as an adopted daughter and John Bidwell as his adopted son. Holloway often turns to the dugutigi for advice and support during her time in Mali, especially for building her house, repairing the birthing house, and discussing the situation concerning Monique’s salary. Although the dugutigi is a traditional man, he proves to be more open to changes in his culture than most others.

Francois Dembele is Monique’s unhappy, jealous, and materialistic husband. Their arranged marriage proves to be a failure, as Francois despises the attention his wife receives for her role as midwife. He frequently cheats on Monique, including taking Monique’s salary and spending it on gifts for his girlfriend rather than on food for his children. In particular, Francois seems to enjoy making Monique’s job more difficult than it already is, and he often acts like a petulant child rather than a man.