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As Yeah has events and meetings in Utah and New York, his party members here continue to take Mali by a storm with their own meetings. You can tell of the seriousness and commitment that has overtook this party as the campaigning months approach. In the past, when Yeah left to go to the US, campaign activities would almost come to a standstill. However, this time, the meetings have continued with a renewed commitment. There were three important meetings this past week.

The first meeting was a meeting I was able to attend. I met with woman in Nianrela. The meeting was essential as it was able to showcase the needs of the woman in Mali. As I spoke with the women, I made sure to outline that the women in Mali are very essential to the success of the country. Their main concerns were regarding the unemployment in Mali. Most graduates in Mali cannot even find a job. Some of them to support their family end up begging on the street to make ends meet. Fomba, the party representative, advised these women to provide him with the names, degrees and phone# of these graduates so that if Yeah hears of any opportunities, we can contact them. I advised the women to get together as a group and advise their spokesperson of their concerns so that these can be addressed when Yeah wins the candidacy. This was an important meeting for two reasons. The first that I already mentioned is because women are the breath of Mali. The second is that usually it the women that encourage each other through their groups and that can turn out in huge droves to the voting polls. The spokesperson at this meeting alone could bring 600 voters.

The second meeting was held at the Party Headquarters and officiated by Party Woman Leader Assa Sidibé. About 20 woman community leaders from the different regions within Bamako were in attendance. Assa spoke about Yeah’s biography and what he had accomplished to date in Mali without taking any government money. She spoke succinctly on what the party PACP could accomplish and what values they stood for. The most important part of the meeting was a Q&A session. Important concerns came up. Some questions were about whether Yeah would abandon these woman groups when he took power. Assa made sure the women’s concerns were answered and advised that Yeah works with groups and not individuals for a reason. Groups are continuous but individual ambitions/commitments waiver on personal circumstances. She advised that Yeah would continue to work with the same woman groups and make sure that their concerns were handled appropriately. There was another question about why the mayors were taken to America. It gave Assa an opportunity to build on Yeah’s commitment for additional job training. If these mayors learn different ways of governance and ethical responsibility, they will become better for the communities they serve. Their communities will have the opportunity to see a better picture because these mayors have seen how their mayor counterparts in the US handle their responsibilities and how their counties have benefitted. The meeting was very beneficial and will be essential to the success of PACP. It is important for us to get the word out about what Yeah stands for and how he can change Mali if he is given a chance.

The third meeting followed the pattern of the second meeting and was officiated by Party Secretary -General Fomba. The 25 community leaders were introduced to what Yeah and PACP stood for. These leaders were encouraged to spread the word and bring more members into the party.

Meetings of this kind are essential to the success of PACP and are necessary in educating the voters. It is the hope that such meetings will continue and the membership of the party will increase. Just like education is key to success of an individual, educating people about their rights as citizens and the necessity of an honest leader is essential to a nation’s success. Only when this happens, people will hold their leaders accountable and be willing to put someone in office that truly represents their needs and is willing to fight for them. That person is Yeah Samaké.