This past weekend was a true example of what campaigning in Mali truly is. On Saturday, at the crack of dawn, our delegation led by our PACP Secretary General Dr. Aboubacar Sidiki Fomba. The team consisted of Abdoulaye Kone, Yaya Samake and Dramane Bagayoko visited our PACP section in Baguineda. Baguineda is in in the South of Mali in the Koulikoro Region. The commune contains 32 villages. The team was welcomed by the President of the PACP section in Baguineda Dr Oumar Barou Keita, a respected man in his own community. He had organized many leaders within the community to come and listen to the vision of PACP and what Yeah has done for Mali. Fomba described with great enthusiasm all the schools that have been built in the regions that need it the most. He talked about the scholarships that Yeah has found for Malian students, the partnership that Yeah created between American and Malian universities and the American doctors that Yeah brings each year. He also emphasized Yeah’s work in continuing the education of local government leaders by taking his own office for an exchange in Paris and also a group of Mayors to the US to meet with local leaders there. The people there were astonished that there existed a man who had done something for Mali before he even went into politics. This is the reaction we seem to be getting everywhere we go. People are disillusioned with the very word politics and politicians because the last 50 years have shown what a failure they have been for Mali.

The team then headed to Kolokani.  Kolokani is a town in Mali’s Koulikoro Region. More than a 100 people turned up to come listen to listen to the PACP leadership team. We thank our local PACP leaders Boubacar Sow and Karim Fomba for mobilizing people despite the bad weather conditions. Boubacar Sow spoke to the people of Kolokani as to why he had joined PACP. Karim Fomba followed by declaring that support must be given to the youth leaders like Yeah and the old men must step aside. Kolokani youth declared their support PACP. The unique moment of the event was when the father of Karim Fomba, who had given up on politicians, stood up and declared his support for PACP and Yeah Samake. The people committed to help PACP change the old guard because that would be the only way to bring fresh change to the country.

The next morning, the team left again but this time headed to Sirakorola, a village quite far from Bamako.  Sirakorola is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Koulikoro in the Koulikoro Region of south-western Mali. Mongon Coulibaly, leader of the PACP section of Sirakorola welcomed the PACP delegation consisting of Kone, Djeneba, Yaya and Fomba. There were two meetings at this place. One was with the elders and men of the village. The meeting was held in a classroom and Fomba once again described the activities of PACP and why Yeah could be the President of good change that Mali needed.  They then met separately with the women associations in the village.  Mr Coulibaly, the leader in Sirakorola, is a well respected man and he has worked hard to spread the word about PACP in the area. In addition, the people of Sirakorola have also seen the social actions that PACP is involved in. A few months ago, Dr. Fomba ( who is an eye doctor) and Dr Oumar Keita ( who is a surgeon) did free operations for the residents of Sirakorola. So the people there see the possibilities that can happen because here is a party that is finally practicing what it preaches. The village of Sirakorola has committed to work against the old guards that have taken over Mali’s democracy and have stated they will not sell the country this time to the old, dishonest politicians.

One final stop was made in the Zone Industrielle of Sotuba, Mali. Here the party gifted equipment  ( spades, shovels, gloves and boots) to those workers that have to work in the dirty conditions of the industrial area. The workers were grateful because before the government had failed to provide them the necessary equipment to do their job. Hence they were doing a hazardous job ( cleaning the dirty streams and pollutants) but with no protection. The families of these workers celebrated this gift and we were happy to help ( if only in a small way). More needs to be done to secure the safety of these workers.

The message of change resounds with PACP arrival in all the villages and towns we enter. People want change. People are tired of the old guard. People want new ideas. People want to see progress. 53 years after independence and where is Mali. Malians are as poor and destitute as they were 53 years ago. If anything this country has moved backward under the old guard. Now is time for change in Mali. Now is the time for a leader that can change the lives of the beautiful, strong people of Mali. That leader is Yeah Samake.         

Please take a chance on Yeah Samake and make a donation of $50 today. If every person we knew donated $50 we could make an impact like this in every corner of Mali. Malians deserve to know that there is a better choice. There is hope. The future can be brighter with @YeahSamake

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