16. DOCTOR BAGAYAKO

I ran out of acupuncture needles in Timbuktu. Tahara’s uncle, the MP, offered me a few boxes that he had bought from his acupuncturist in Bamako.

So I visited him during my trip to clear the wind turbine through customs.

He is not Chinese! Doctor Bagayako is from Mali but he is as comfortable with the Chinese language as he is with acupuncture needles.

Not surprisingly, he has studied Chinese medicine in China for years. He is a much sought-after expert in West Africa. He teaches acupuncture in Mali and abroad. He even seems a bit Chinese…

I spent a day with him in the clinic with his patients, and he had the kindness and generosity to teach me some of his knowledge.

I am no more than a beginner, but even so the results I saw when I used needles were incredible. This has made me eager to learn more. Before coming to Timbuktu I had only used acupuncture on myself and my family. After 2 months in Mali I had treated hundreds of people and assimilated the lessons of my first teacher, Doctor Baha Uddin well.