Youth, Language, and Culture       Working with the residents of Djenné, the Initiative has formed the Bambana Youth Club to assist in carrying out various projects. As undernourishment and malnutrition are common problems, three meals a day are served to the club membership. There are no charges or fees for any of the club's activities, which also include: English classes, both formal and informal, resulting in superior academic achievement by students who rank at the top of their public school classes; tutoring in math and science by local school teachers; field trips to culturally significant villages and cities; fishing and river excursions in a boat maintained for the club; sponsorship of a leading Djenné soccer team, the Djenné Genies; and, instruction in computers and digital photography.       Documentation of Djenné's cultural resources is an important objective of the Initiative. The local language is a Songhay dialect spoken only in Djenné and it is being translated and transcribed into an English-Djennéké dictionary. The collection of oral folk legends, local history, and family geneologies are being recorded, mostly for the first time. A digital architectural survey of Djenné's historic buildings is being undertaken and when complete will be made available online. Copyright 2004 © The Djenné Initiative, Inc.