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Monthly Archives: February 2014

♫ Help wish Yeah Samake Happy Birthday ♫

Wow, what a year it has been! This time, last year, Yeah and I were busy campaigning in rural villages all over Mali. And while things have definitely slowed down, we are by no means halted in our goal to help bring change to Mali.

But I would like to take a minute and ask you to celebrate the life and achievements so far of a very special man. In 1968, a fortune teller told a Malian woman in the village of Ouelessebougou, whose name was Sanamba Doumbia, that she would have a child who would become a great leader one day. 45 years later, I would say that Yeah is very well on his way to being that leader.

But the one thing I love about this man, is that he does not lead just by word. His actions have determined and highlighted the wonderful leader he is. And many in Mali have grown to respect and trust him because they see real action on their behalf. How do you teach people not to be corrupt? For Yeah it meant not stealing a single dollar of the tax payers money and holding accountable any corrupt official. How do you show service and teach people to be better citizens? For Yeah it meant leaving a country of fortune and coming back to Mali to serve his people on the ground. How do you become a good father and a caring husband? For Yeah, it means spending hours building tents with our kids after a day of meetings and even washing dishes ( a crime for any Malian man in this patriarchal society;))

Yeah is just simply a special spirit. When you look into his eyes, you see a sincere desire to help and a kindness that warms. He is different in a way that is a blessing for Mali and all Malians. He truly cares and even when people harm him, Yeah is usually one of the first to help. It used to drive me crazy but one day he simply said to me, ” I have been blessed and it is my calling that I should share that blessing with others, no matter what”. Our children in Mali need more men like Yeah. The Malian youth are still being forgotten and no change has benefited them. Mali has one of the youngest populations in the world with about 70% under the age of 25. Thanks to your support, we can focus our activities on our youth in the hopes that they may be strengthened to raise themselves from the circumstances they were born into.

So today, I call on our Samake friends, family, and supporters around the world to help me celebrate this generous, amazing man by supporting the cause he loves the most. For the past two years, you kindly answered our call for donations to our campaign. This year I would like to celebrate the spirit of giving that defines Yeah and highlight what so few Malians have today: access to education.

A month ago we visited the village of Fala. Many children in Fala are working in neighboring mines in order to bring in an income for their families. However community leaders are committed to breaking this cycle of child laborers and poverty and want a school in their own village. So Empower Mali’s new village that will get a school is Fala.

Today, come celebrate this wonderful man with me by making a donation to Empower Mali’s new school in the denomination of 45– 4.5, 45, 450.. etc. or whatever you can. And/Or share this with your family and friends. You can click the button below or go to http://www.empowermali.org ( Enter “Fala school” in comments)

Your support has been immense. My heart overwhelms with gratitude when I think of your prayers and investment in us. Thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts, for sharing our ambition, our desires for a better Mali and our journey.

From our family to yours, God bless you and your loved ones

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Posted by Marissa Samake on February 27, 2014 in Past Posts

A historic day for Ouelessebougou

18 Feb

On February 11th, the people of Ouélessébougou welcomed a very special guest. In the first visit of its kind made possible through an invitation by the Mayor of Ouélessébougou Yeah Samaké, the Ambassador of America to Mali, Mary Beth Leonard, paid a visit to Ouélessébougou. The visit was a chance to cement a strong friendship between America and Ouélessébougou. Ouélessébougou has been one of the few lucky villages that has received a lot of support from religious and nongovernmental organizations in the US. The visit also gave an opportunity to display Ouélessébougou as a model of success when talking about decentralization and transparent governance.

The people of Ouélessébougou showed up in droves to show their support for the Ambassador of a country whose people served them. The streets lined up with children and the people of Ouélessébougou as the Ambassador’s entourage pulled up. The representative of the Chief of the Village of Ouélessébougou welcomed the Ambassador and her delegation. He extended his deep thanks and appreciation for the support of America in Mali’s struggles and all the investments that had come to Ouélessébougou. The teachers association followed by thanking the Ambassador for the American investment in education. Speaking in his role as Mayor, when Yeah spoke he thanked the Ambassador for making the journey to come visit Ouélessébougou, emphasizing that there is so much to see and so much cultural beauty to experience outside of Bamako. He talked about America’s role as a great democratic country from whom Mali could learn many values of true democracy. He praised the efforts of America in coming to Mali’s aid and for providing financial and logistical support. He expressed his gratitude for the numerous NGOs, entrepreneurs and medical groups that visit Ouélessébougou from the US. Through their help, Ouélessébougou has received free healthcare treatment.

When the Ambassador spoke, she was very grateful for the opportunity to come visit Ouélessébougou. No other American Ambassador has ever visited the community and so this was a historic first for an Ambassador of America to set foot in Ouélessébougou. The Ambassador spoke of the friendship that Mali and America shares. She focused on education being the key to development and praised the community of Ouélessébougou for their unique citizenship participation in their government. Today, thanks to the clean, transparent governance, Ouélessébougou enjoys a 92% tax collection rate from its 50000+ population spanning 44 communes. The people have seen the benefits of paying taxes in the services they have received. The event in the main square of Ouélessébougou ended with a song by the famous Malian rapper Mylmo that got the children on their feet. My people were very excited to celebrate this unique, special occasion with the Ambassador and her delegation.

After the welcome celebration, the delegation toured the different sites in Ouélessébougou that have made the city a developing, moving city. We started by visiting the stadium that was recently enclosed. Before the youth would have no place to play. By enclosing the stadium, the Mayor’s office has introduced a place for our youth and also a venue available for rent where national/international games can be played. This will bring many investments and business opportunities to the area. Next on the tour was the new hospital that is under construction. The hospital when completed will be the biggest of its kind in the region. When the hospital is completed it will house a maternity center, emergency room, pharmacies, child care unit, dental clinic, eye care facility and healthcare center. It will be the only big hospital between Bamako and Sikasso, which is 7 hours away. This is an amazing facility and when completed it will bring accessible healthcare to the Djitimou area. I am excited for this sprawling facility to be completed! It will reduce the unnecessary deaths caused from distance to the next health center. Next, the delegation toured the famous solar panel field and were introduced to the inner workings of the facility.

After lunch, the delegation headed to the village of Ferekoroba to see the Empower Mali school that is currently under construction. While there, Yeah discussed the importance of education and the role American NGOs in contributing to Ouelessebougou’s education. NGOs like Building Youth Around the World(who donated $50K for the Ferekoroba school) and our foundation Empower Mali play a strong role in strengthening the weak education system in Mali. There is no investment by the government primarily because the funds do not exist. Hence the education system is severely affected and all the help these non profits give help raise the communities where they work. The Chief of the village of Ferekoroba was very honored to have the Ambassador visit his village and personally came to greet her and her delegation. The Building Youth Around the World Academy is progressing nicely and will be completed soon. This is the first building of its kind since the primary school was built in 1956.When completed, the government will provide teachers to the school. The children are very excited!!

The final step in this very exciting day was a visit to the village of Tenkele. While there, the Ambassador got to experience the beautiful folklore traditions of singing and dancing of the area. She was honored with songs and presented with a sheep by the people of Tenkele. Tenkele is one of the bigger communes under Yeah’s jurisdiction as Mayor. The people came out in great numbers to support their community and welcome the Ambassador.

The day was indeed wonderful and packed with many memories. The event was covered by the national TV ORTM and brought the accolades Ouélessébougou deserves for being such a beautiful, forward thinking city. This visit achieved its purpose to strengthen the ties between the US and Ouélessébougou and to demonstrate the fruits of a successfully run local government. The people of Ouélessébougou are better off today than when Yeah took office in 2009. They have clean running water, a clean source of energy, new infrastructure like school cantines and maternity centers, a new high school ( the biggest in the region), a new hospital under construction, a civil service department and an efficiently run Mayor’s office. The people have a renewed faith in their local government and an assurance that their tax money is not being eaten by their Mayor. It is this sense of citizenship that makes Ouélessébougou special. The Ambassador was quick to recognize all these accomplishments and extended a warm thank you to the people of Ouélessébougou and their Mayor for making the day so memorable. My people in Ouélessébougou will indeed treasure this historic visit just as much.