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Rallying support in the “white gold capital”

03 Mar

Can you believe that the election is only two months away? Who knew our time here would pass so quickly. During these final months it is essential to reach the corners of Mali that are far removed from Bamako. That was the plan as Yeah and his team headed to Koutiala for a 2-day trip.

Koutiala is the heartland of cotton production in Mali and is sometimes called “the white gold capital” for its cotton.However, the industry has been affected by stagnation since the 1980s. This region will be important as Mali’s economy is centered on agriculture with 80% of Malians employed in farming.

In a previous meeting to Sikasso, Yeah had met a lot of mayors from the region. The Mayor of Koutiala wanted to learn more of Yeah achievements and his vision, so he decided to set up a bigger meeting with the mayors and their councilors in the surrounding regions. Initially, the mayors were very skeptical. A mayor running for President is unheard of. When the mayor who had organized the meeting introduced Yeah, he made sure he also said that he did not necessarily agree with Yeah, but wanted to hear what he had to say. There were about 60 people in attendance, 30 of which were mayors. The event started with a quick introduction followed by Yeah’s movie bio in French. The people loved the video and were anxious to ask questions. Yeah spoke for about 10 minutes on his plans for Mali and what he has already done for Ouelessebougou. He appealed to the mayors by asking how historic it would be to have a fellow mayor run for President and who better than mayors to understand how local government really works. Then the questions began. One person asked how many wives and children he had. Polygamy is a widely accepted practice in the Muslim culture of Mali. Yeah, with pride, announced he had two children and one wife and would only continue to have one wife. They asked to know more about PACP, what it represented, and how it was started. Yeah explained the change that PACP stood for and was proud to speak about its focus on employment, education, and technology development in agriculture. He continually stressed the point that Mali must invest in teachers to improve education. By the end of the discussion, the leading Mayor of the event was a proud supporter of Yeah and in addition Yeah had collected a band of mayors to support him.

Another essential meeting happened as  Yeah met with some teachers in Koutiala to find out what their needs were and how he could best resolve the educational issues plaguing the country and trickling into Koutiala as well.

At night the group settled down at the house of the local imam in Koutiala. The imam is the Muslim leader in the community. He invited the group to join them in the evening prayer. The brother of the imam gave the group a special blessing for safe travels and a successful journey. This speaks to Yeah’s statement that despite being a Christian in a 90% Muslim country, religion does not divide or judge; rather the invitation shows how faiths can come together for a common goal.

At 10pm, the group continued to another campaign event with supporters in Koutiala. The group was large and the questions never-ending. At one point the power shut off and immediately phones lit up the night as the meeting continued. The excitement is growing!

Next morning the team headed to a youth meeting at the headquarters of Radio Equité. About 75 youth gathered to hear Yeah speak. The youth asked how he would help them to get jobs and to increase opportunity for education. He spoke of his plan to place universities in every region and to create more jobs for youth as they graduate. The youth were excited about the hope Yeah brought. As Yeah was leaving, many people surrounded him for pictures and additional questions. They would have stayed with him all day if time permitted.

Next the team headed to the small village of Humallaye. This meeting was setup by local youth volunteers of PACP.  Koné of PACP spoke to about 40 people introducing Yeah and his vision. Yeah then spoke. He spoke of the understanding he had for the conditions that the villagers lived in and how he believed he could make their lives better as President. He then gave a Samake2012 button to the chief of the village, symbolizing that if ever he were elected and the chief felt like he was not keeping his promise, then the chief and his councilors could come to Koulouba and question Yeah’s actions.

As Team Samake headed back to Bamako, they stopped over in Kouri for a meeting with mayors in that area. Kouri in Region of Sikasso is located roughly 218 mi (or 351 km) east of Bamako. As the meeting ended, they went on to a rally in the heart of Kouri. Beautiful women welcomed the group with their singing while Liz, our intern, encouraged the people to join in the dancing. Yeah welcomed the 90 people in attendance. The message was the same, filled with the same conviction and the same hope.

At midnight, Team Samake made another stop to meet with 10 supporters. Yes I did say midnight. These people had been waiting for Yeah to come since 6pm. Yeah tried to cancel but all they had said was even if Yeah came at 5am they would still be there. Such was the commitment. Even at such a late hour, Yeah was on top of his game and excited to share his message. And the people there stated that their waiting had not been in vain.

All these meetings in Koutiala were amazing and essential to Yeah’s campaign. The support Samake2012 got from this region was amazing and it was a testimony of the conviction people have in Yeah and what he could achieve for Mali. People want their country to be a successful country with a way to care for its people. Yeah is the man for the job and more and more people are starting to buy into the Samake2012 dream for an educated, stable Mali. What about you? Support us today at www.samake2012.com. Together we will celebrate the dawning of a new day in Mali.

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Posted by on March 3, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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Diorila welcomes back a local favorite

01 Mar

As Team Samake arrived in the village, they were greeted by a horde of children and villagers who enthusiastically followed Yeah to the stage for the rally.

A large group of drummers welcomed Yeah while a man, wearing an intricately designed mask with beautiful red beadwork, danced.

There were about 150 people in attendance, including all of the excited children. As the event began, there were various dances performed by the women and the men in their own individual circles. Culturally, Malian men and women do everything separately in public. Our friend James and intern Kyle joined the African men by dancing with them in the circle. Check out their interesting contribution:

Numerous other performances were given by the drummers. The village chief then proceeded to introduce Yeah and other party members. Yeah eloquently spoke once again of a new day for Mali. After Yeah finished speaking, a special performance was given by local talent Petit Ballo who wrote a song about Yeah Samake. His support has brought an even greater enthusiasm to our campaign!

Petit Ballo performs

Listen to the song by Petit:

PETIT BALLO YEAH SAMAKE 2012

After the rally, Team Samake walked over to the MRF built middle school, Sue Taylor Middle School of Diorila, to visit with the children and see the condition of the school. The children were excited and crowded around the windows and every opening of the school. The people were excited to see the return of Yeah and anxious to see what else he could do for their village.

After lunch, which was generously provided by the villagers, there was a soccer game sponsored by PACP in a neighboring commune. The mayor welcomed Yeah. There were about 80 people in attendance. The imam and Chief of the village welcomed Yeah with a speech of support. Yeah’s councilor Broulaye Doumbia spoke to the people about Yeah and his accomplishments. He spoke fondly of Yeah’s character and courage to help his country.

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The events were short but served its purpose of reminding the villages in this area of what Yeah has already done for them and can continue to do if he is elected President.

 
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Posted by on March 1, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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Happy Birthday

28 Feb

Today is a very special day. My dear husband Yeah is celebrating his 43rd birthday. Today, in honor of each year of his life, many of which he has spent in the service of others, and to celebrate the leader Mali needs, I would like to ask you to donate $43 dollars to his campaign. When Yeah comes home each night he checks the donation website. It would make his day to see the continued support of so many. 

Help me surprise him with all the donations we can today and make his day!

If you cannot do $43, then please do what you can. Every little bit helps. If you can do more, that is even better. 

Together, I bet we can raise his $50,000 fee to register in the elections. If you’re willing and able, please contribute at http://www.samake2012.com

Let’s surprise him together, so that he can have the best birthday of his 43 years!

Thank you for your continued help. We really could not do this without you and feel blessed to have such great supporters. Vive la Mali, Vive Yeah Samake.

 
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Posted by on February 28, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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Sikasso makes its voice heard

25 Feb

Team Samaké headed by Yeah left at 4 am in the morning so they could make it to a meeting in Sikasso, which is 375km or a 6-hour drive away. The next campaign area would be an essential one for the Samake2012 campaign.

Sikasso is a picturesque city in the south of Mali and the capital of the Sikasso Region.  It borders Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Guinea. The reason this region is essential is because of its size. It is the second largest electoral region with a population of about 190,000. Yeah was traveling to Sikasso to meet with an essential group whose support or lack there of could bring either success or failure to his campaign. This group is none other than the mayors and commune leaders of Sikasso.

One of Yeah’s most basic policies is decentralization—the return of power from the central to local governments by empowering local governments to take a more proactive stance in running their day-to-day affairs. You would think that the minute a mayor heard decentralization, they would immediately be on aboard given that more power would rest with the Mayors office than before. However the biggest change would be accountability. At the local level, these leaders would have to be accountable to the constituents of their communes. It is easier to cheat someone when you cannot see their face. But when you are literally sharing the same bread, it is not that easy. To truly want to serve and empower one’s people, mayors need to embrace decentralization.

When Yeah initially started to speak, the skepticism hung around the room like a wet blanket. However the power of seeing something can never compare with words. The minute the video that shows his story ended, his audience was sold.

Here was a man who had never taken a dime of any Malian’s money. Rather, he had given much back. The schools he has built through generous donors in America would not only affect this generation but generations to come. The medical and dental expeditions that had come would help extend someone’s life and in some cases save lives. The school supplies that he encouraged Americans to donate would allow children to each experience if only for a little while the joy of having their own supplies. Having clean running water in Ouelessebougou would help reduce diseases. A solar panel would help produce electricity to run a commune. Computers would infuse a fresh life of technology into classrooms. What these mayors saw was what Yeah could do given a few resources. Now imagine, if he was able to turn a country rich in resources to a country that utilized its resources to benefit its people and not its leader’s pockets.

The vision Yeah emphasized in French was: « Ma mission est d’assurer un Mali décentralisé pour une école de qualité, une meilleure gestion des ressources humaines et financières, une meilleure responsabilisation des décideurs, et la promotion de l’entreprenariat ». (My mission is to provide a decentralized Mali to ensure higher quality of schools, better management of human resources and financial resources, better accountability of decision makers, and promoting entrepreneurship). The excitement was palatable as Mayors got up to shake his hand. I’m not saying every mayor in that room was converted, but we made enough of a stir that mayors would at least question the current policies that hindered growth and prosperity in their communes. The outcome of this first huge meeting was a large group of mayors from Koutiala (one of the regions) approached Yeah and told him they would hold a rally and invite the surrounding communes to come and hear his message. This was only the beginning of an amazing day.

Speaking to the mayors

The next essential meeting was held at the Hotel Maissa. Here the target group was a youth leadership group that was first created when PACP was announced. They were extremely excited to finally meet the candidate on whose behalf they had been campaigning for so long. Yeah spoke with quiet command. He spoke of his dream for a safe and stable Mali. He spoke about the needs of this youth group to have a stable education and job when they graduate. He gave them a hope that their time had come. It was time for their needs to be brought to the forefront. Education or the lack there of is a big issue in Mali today. For the past 6 months, the high schools and universities have been shut over a teacher’s strike. The government had been unable to fix the issue in a timely and just manner to all parties. How can a government like this function? 50 more years of inadequacy will continue if Malian youth do not fight for what they deserve. They deserve a better education, they deserve a better job, and they deserve a better future for themselves and their families. And it’s not too much to ask. The education system needs to be revamped. More than a 1000 more schools need to be built and teachers trained. Yeah Samaké is the man for the job!

Participants at the Meeting

One of things that Yeah has reiterated time and again is that “Mali is not a poor country; rather it has been made poor by the actions of its leaders”. On the way back, the team was taken aback by the serene beauty of Sikasso. It is hard not to fall in love with the serenity and uncomplicated way of life that these people have. In some places, you can even see the red brick wall (tata) that dates back to the French invasion. This region without a doubt could join the ranks of Timbuktu in terms of tourism. Sikasso also has one of the biggest networks of tunnels that are man-made. These tunnels were used by locals as hiding places during the war but now serve as a place to perform rituals. The view was breathtaking and indescribable.

One of the tunnels

The next interesting scene is closely related to one of Mali’s exports. Mali is the third biggest producer of gold in Africa. Lo and behold, what do we find as we are driving back? Gold Panning! We ran into a huge crowd of men, women and children surrounding a few extremely deep holes in the ground as they brought up bucket after bucket to pan for gold. This was awesome to watch!

Seeing how the bore hole works

The trip to Sikasso was an eye opener, not only in terms of support but also a wake up call to a different way of life. We think life is difficult if we are missing a TV or our Iphone. Malians are nor asking for much. What they are asking for is a good education, a stable healthcare system, jobs when they graduate and a fair chance to make a decent life for themselves. I truly believe that Yeah is the man for the job. This country needs someone who will put their interests first before their own, someone who will not embezzle from the country and someone whose expertise lies in education in developing countries. Please help us make these things a possibility by supporting us at www.samake2012.com. Together, let’s celebrate the country Mali can become under good leadership. Vive Mali!

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(Thank you to the Arringtons for the pictures and Cole & the Goodine group ( Travis and Joe) for their Midas touch on this video.)

 
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Posted by on February 25, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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Mandé welcomes PACP and Yeah Samaké

23 Feb

Mamadou Coulibaly wanted to help the Samaké2012 campaign in Mali. The one hitch was that he was in New York. So what did he do? He left a job for a month and came to Mali to campaign in the remote villages. The product of his success was experienced in Mandé.

Mandé is a commune in Kati, which is in the Koulikoro Region of south-western Mali. Here the villages are still built in the traditional way, the scenery is beautiful and the Malinké, very welcoming.

As PACP reached Mandé, a large group met them outside the outskirts of the commune and welcomed them in. A group of community leaders, dressed as gunmen, marched ahead and sounded their guns periodically as they entered Mandé. A kora (an ancient Malian musical instrument) was played as the party leaders settled down. Under the shade of baobab trees, a huge crowd of 300 people had gathered from the surrounding 19 villages. As is traditional, dancing celebrated PACP and Yeah’s arrival to the commune. As the community leaders sat down on fur mats, the show began.

Procession of gunmen welcome PACP

Kora players--Such beautiful music

To begin, two men in feather headdresses performed impressive jumps for their appreciative audience. These two men then proceeded, one at a time, to travel around the circle, bent over leaning on two thin sticks, and dance to the beat of the drum, directly in front of the audience, particularly the community and party leaders. In addition, four young girls impressed Team Samaké as they performed army-like squats and jump routines in addition to moving rhythmically with the drums as an older woman chanted. Music forms an essential part of key ceremonies in Mali and is used as a form of welcome for important visitors. With PACP this was no exception. The people of Mandé were excited to meet the man who for weeks they had heard, from Mamadou Coulibaly, nothing but good about.

One of the men in feather headdresses dances in a circle balanced on sticks

Mandé dancers

PACP is a representation of what Mali deserves and a promise of what Malian people will get if they elect Yeah Samaké. The community leaders were very receptive of the party’s message of hope. Secretary General Fomba spoke of the importance of voting and how the people of Mandé are indeed an essential component of a successful Mali. He proudly spoke of Yeah’s achievements and reiterated that Yeah could indeed fulfill their needs. One of the things Mandé really needs right now is a water source. Currently, villagers will walk to surrounding villages to get clean water. Yeah then spoke. He spoke with passion of the need of the villagers to empower themselves. Through decentralization, it will become possible for villagers to become responsible for the policies that govern them. Yeah then distributed 15 boxes filled with notebooks, pencils, office tools, and other school supplies to the commune, which were received with gratitude. At the end of this grand ceremony, the man behind putting it together, Mamadou Coulibaly spoke. He spoke of the vision that PACP is and the good that Yeah could do if given a chance. PACP awarded him a Samaké2012 button to symbolize the service he has done.  He has truly been a great asset to Team Samaké.

The rally ended with a bang! The villagers performed, to the beat of the drum, some more freestyle African dances for Team Samaké.

This commune of Mandé represents a small part of Mali that is hoping for change. There are many villages and communes like Mandé that hope their next President can bring a social and economic change to Mali. Things that we take for granted like running water and electricity are things unknown and wanted in Mali. It is the hope that Yeah can bring the structure and growth that Mali needs. Please support us so that Malians everywhere can get the basic things to survive. Malians are not asking for a hand out, they just need a hand up. Please extend your hand any way you can in terms of financial or verbal support at http://www.samake2012.com and together let us give our fellow Malians a hand up.

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This event was also reported by reporter Yaya Samaké in the Malian newspaper 22Septembre: http://www.maliweb.net/news/politique/2012/02/23/article,49891.html

 
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Posted by on February 23, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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Youth Leadership Meeting, Commune V in Bamako welcomes PACP and a treat!

19 Feb

Youth Leadership Meeting

The youth from the different districts of Bamako came to listen to the PACP President speak of his vision for a stable, prosperous Mali. The youth represent an essential part of the voting block. Believe it or not, only 38% of the voting population voted in the 2007 elections. In a country of 14 million people, that is not only astonishing but also disappointing to see the lack of democratic responsibility. However when one sees the state of education, the economy and healthcare, one can truly understand how voting is the last thing on someone’s mind. The stakes, however, are even higher this time. With unemployment hovering at unimaginable numbers ( reported at 13%, but in actuality a lot higher), and the education system riveted with strikes currently, the Malian youth are suffering. Yeah spoke to the vision that PACP stands for. The PACP charter emphasizes the values of patriotism, citizenship, decentralization, freedom, democracy, human rights, and good governance. As Yeah spoke, his audience of youth remained quiet and attentive. He reiterated the need for Malians to come together and work towards a stable government. He also showed where Ouelessebougou was 3 years ago and where it stood today as one of the top ten cities instead of the bottom five. All this is possible for Mali. However Malians need a strong leader that is not afraid to take on the old system of corruption and self-service. This was an amazing meeting and an important one at that. It is the hope that the Malian youth will believe in their strength and voice. Their presence at the polls will be essential not only to PACP’s success but also to determining which leader will lead them to a brighter future.

Commune V(Five) in Bamako welcomes PACP

As the hot Malian sun bore down, about 100 Malians gathered in Commune V. The guest of honor was PACP President and Presidential hopeful Yeah Samaké. Surrounded by other party members, Yeah was welcomed by youth leaders in the commune. Also we had special guests from Utah, James and Shelby Arrington. James and Shelby are simply one of the sweetest couples we know and we are very ecstatic that they would come all this way to visit and lend their services on the campaign trail in Mali.

Welcome Sign

Commune V Supporters

Bandiougou Soumaro

Mali's future

Party representative Bandiougou Soumaro, spoke highly of Yeah’s accomplishments and the hope that Malians could count on if they wanted a better life with more opportunities. This like all other rallies was accompanied by music and dancing. Some of the music was specific to Yeah’s accomplishments. I can’t still comprehend how a person can sing impromptu like that. The words just flow out of their mouths. We were then invited to witness a rare treat. James believes so much in this campaign that he has kindly allowed us to publish this in the hopes of raising money for Samake2012.I will let the videos below speak for themselves.

These two events are yet another indication of the growing support among Malians. Please support us at www.samake2012.com and help me bring the stability and the leadership that Mali desperately needs.

 
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Posted by on February 19, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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Ségou mayors support decentralization

18 Feb

Team Samaké left for Ségou, Mali early in the morning on February 16th. Their mission: to educate mayors from the region of Ségou about the Samake2012 vision for a stable, prosperous Mali filled with opportunities for its people.

Ségou (Seku, Segu) is a city in south-central Mali, lying 235 kilometers (146 mi) northeast of Bamako on the River Niger, in the region of Ségou. It was founded by the Bozo people, on a site about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the present town. With 100,000 inhabitants, it is the third largest city in Mali.

Yeah central point to creating a prosperous Mali is decentralization. What you might say, does decentralization have to do with a stable, prosperous Mali? In theory decentralization has been around for a long time. In practice, it does not exist.  The time has come for the central government to return power back to the local governments, creating an environment in which the people can hold their own leaders accountable for the actions in the commune. I think of it in this way too. As parents, we struggle sometimes to let our children make their own decisions. Failure to let them “live a little” will make them dependent individuals that cannot manage their own lives/decisions. However, if you teach them everything you can and then let them go, they are held accountable in part by the acquaintances that surround them. Without teaching them, they don’t and can’t differentiate from right and wrong. The same is with decentralization. USAID states in its In-Country report of Mali: “We find that the state has devolved some degree of authority and has made modest efforts in other areas (most notably the prospects for accountability implicit in local elections), but that autonomy and capacity remain generally low at the local level.” The central government needs to let go of power and return it to the local leaders. It is harder to hold a big government organization accountable in a country the size of Texas. By letting people at the local level conduct hold their commune leaders accountable, they will see a lot more return on investment of the taxes they pay. Take Ouelessebougou for example. 3 years ago, it was listed as the 699th commune out of the 703 communes in terms of development and transparency. Only 10% of taxes were being paid and mayor office employees had not been paid in 6 months because the previous mayor had been embezzling money. Look at Ouelessebougou today. Today due to measures instituted to ensure transparency and accountability 80% of taxes are being paid on time, employees are paid without fail on the 25th of every month, and Ouelessebougou is listed in the top ten cities in Mali. There are experts at the mayor’s office in the different sections of land, water and other areas, to allow people to discuss their issue directly with these individuals without waiting for the Mayor to make a decision. Power is distributed so that people within the Mayor’s office are empowered to make decisions and held accountable for the decisions they make by the Mayor and his constituents. Development wise Yeah has been able to lobby and get funds from the central government to build the first ever high school in the region, the biggest hospital in the region and the biggest solar panel field in Mali. If Yeah is elected on April 29th 2012, he could spread the success of decentralization to the rest of Mali.

That was the message of hope that Yeah wanted to share with these mayors of Ségou. About 100 mayors crowded into the room. Many had been drawn to the free lunch that Yeah was offering. The leading Mayor of Ségou introduced Yeah to his colleagues. Saying: “I am not here for myself, I am not here for Americans or for the French, I am here for the Malians”, Yeah seized their attention. He started telling about all the things he had been able to accomplish for his fellow-Malians. There is not one Malian candidate running today that has served his people without benefitting like Yeah has. Yeah’s words were solidified by a video showing evidence of the schools built, the water system in Ouelessebougou, the new school and hospital and the solar panel field. The skepticism vanished as the video ended. Yeah had instilled a new sense of hope in these mayors as he spoke about the power of decentralization and how it could better serve them as mayors and help them better serve their own people. The room filled with raised hands to ask questions. The questions continued with a passion and the gusto with which they were asked would have kept Team Samake there for a long time. The question surrounded topics like education, electricity, water, healthcare and decentralization. At one point, one of the mayors stood up to dispute Yeah’s policy of decentralization. Yeah did not even have to answer as seven mayors stood up to defend him and re-explain how things could only be beneficial for the mayors to better serve their communes. This was the take away point. Yeah Samake was the candidate that could best represent mayors and better support them so they could in turn support their people’s needs.

This was a successful trip for the Samake2012 campaign. The support just keeps growing day after day. It will be important to capitalize on these connections that we are making. This is Mali’s time. Decentralization is the key to creating a country that is stable and empowering people to stand up for the things that truly affect their daily lives. Please support us at www.samake2012.com. We cannot do this without you. Together, let’s welcome a new day in Mali and a new sense of hope for the Malian people. Are you in?

 
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Posted by on February 18, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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Newspaper Article: Yeah Samaké se prononce sur les élections et de la crise du nord P3: « Ceux qui ont servi le pays, le servirons… »

14 Feb

Benjamin Sangala from Newspaper Mali Demain posted this nice article in Mali. English translation below.

http://www.maliweb.net/wp/news/politique/2012/02/13/article,47384.html.

Yeah Samaké se prononce sur les élections et de la crise du nord P3: « Ceux qui ont servi le pays, le servirons… »

Par Mali Demain du 13 février 2012 @ 09:58 Rubrique: Nord-Mali,Politique

Candidat à la présidentielle d’avril prochain au compte du Parti d’Action Civique et Patriotique(PACP), actuel maire de la commune de Ouélésséboubou, vice président de l’Association des Municipalités du Mali et Directeur exécutif de « Mali Rising fondation », M. Niankoro Yeah Samaké, avec ses 42 ans, se présente comme le « John Kennedy », parle de son parti, des élections générales et de la crise au nord du Mali.  

Nous nous attelons de faire du PACP, le parti le mieux organisé sur l’échiquier national.

Parlant de son parti le  PACP né il y a quelques mois, le président Niakoro pense que le parti se porte très bien. « Il s’organise de mieux en mieux », a-t-il dit.  Pour lui, le parti a démarré avec des difficultés ». Croyant à la vibrance qui anime le parti, il précise que : « nous nous attelons de faire du PACP, le parti le mieux organisé sur l’échiquier national ».

Se penchant sur la conférence des cadres qui s’est tenue, il y a deux semaines, le président dira que : « c’était de présenter la vision du parti et faire en sorte que les cadres non seulement du parti et mais que les maliens puissent être exposés à une nouvelle façon de gérer ce pays au lieu de mettre un pansement sur une plaie aussi profonde ». Pour Samaké, i s’agit pour le parti de : «  rompre avec la vieille tradition de gouvernance afin d’endiguer les racines du mal ». Pour lui : « Il faut cependant trouver des solutions selon lui à tous les maux de la société et cela se trouve dans la parabole de la décentralisation ». Ainsi il a fustigé « le fait que tous les pouvoirs sont détenus par une certaine minorité qui ne représente pas le Mali dans sa diversité ».

Nous n’avions de rapport particulier avec l’URD

Le PACP né des braises du l’URD, s’est résolument tourné vers son destin, à savoir : travailler à se faire accepter par les maliens par la vision qu’il incarne. Cependant au-delà des anciens rapports, il n ya pas, selon M yeah Samaké « de rapport particulier entre son parti et l’URD à part les liens d’amitié personnel.

La gestion actuelle de la crise du nord n’est pas différente de la gestion actuelle du pays.

Nous pensons qu’au PACP cela doit changer a t-il martelé. Pour le président de l’Action Civique et Patriotique : « les maliens ne se reconnaissent pas dans la gestion actuelle du pays. Il faut prendre en compte le désir de changement exprimé par les populations. Malgré tout il faut y faire face » selon le PACP.

La crise du nord est sans nul doute le sujet le plus commenté ces temps- ci  et pour Niakoro Yeah Samaké : «  c’est un problème qui a été entretenu depuis 1960. Elle se répercute de nos jours. Ceux qui nous dirigé n’ont toujours  comme solution la mauvaise habitude de pansement dans de plaies profondes. Nous devons envisager des solutions durable » soutient t-il. Plus que jamais doit demeurer unis « unis nous gagnons tous, divisés nous perdons tous » a t- il déclaré »

Quant à la réclamation de la république de l’AZAWAD, le président du PACP estime que : « S’il ya une certaine population qui réclame, une certaine portion  du pays, cela veut dire, que ces gens vivent seuls ». Pour endiguer, ce mal, il préconise  que chaque coin du Mali soit à l’image de la diversité ethnique, qu’il y ait une interaction entre les coins du pays ». Enfin pour lui : « que les déplacements des personnes et de leurs biens soient protégés et rendre  nos frontières  moins perméables ».

Nous avions des inquiétudes sur la tenue des élections.

Les joutes électorales, doivent bientôt se dérouler dans, à peine trois mois. Le climat social ne favorise pas la bonne tenue de ces échéances. C’est l’avis de bon nombre maliens. Selon le président : « le mieux est que tous les maliens puissent participer à l’expression démocratique. Si les élections, selon lui  se tenaient aujourd’hui beaucoup de maliens seront exclus.  Il en appelle au gouvernement d’ATT de prendre les mesures idoines pour que  retournent  au Mali la paix, la quiétude et surtout la sécurité ».

Nous devons faire prévaloir les valeurs d’intégrité morales chez les différents candidats.

Si les opportunités naissent des difficultés au PACP, le regard est tourné sur la cherté de la vie, la mauvaise qualité de l’enseignement, le difficile accès aux soins de santé pour en sortir de ces maux qui minent notre société. Pour l’élection du 5ème président du Mali, le président du PACP invite les maliens à faire prévaloir les valeurs d’intégrité morale, chez les différents candidats.

Enfin, il dira que : « ceux qui ont servi le pays, le serviront toujours, ceux qui se sont servi, de notre partie, nous devons le leur rendre»

Benjamin SANGALA

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Translation of the article.( Thank you to Liz Jessop for helping with this)

Yeah Samake gives his opinion on the elections and on the crisis in the North: “Those who served the country, will continue to serve…”

Written by Benjamin Sangala

Presidential candidate in next April’s election, under the Party for Civic Action and Patriotism (PACP), current mayor of the municipality of Ouélésséboubou, vice president of the Association of Municipalities of Mali and Executive Director of “Mali Rising Foundation,” Mr. Niankoro Yeah Samake, 42 years old, presents himself as a “John Kennedy,” speaks of his party, general elections, and the crisis in northern Mali.When it comes to getting things done, PACP is the best organized party on the national scene.

In speaking of his party, PACP, was born a few months ago, President Niankoro thinks the party is doing very well. “It gets better and better organized,” he said. For him, the party started with difficulties. Believing in the vibrancy that drives the party, he added “We are striving to make PACP the best organized party on the national scene.”

Addressing a leadership conference held two weeks ago, the President says of the conference: “It was to present the vision of the party and ensure that the leaders, not only within the party, but that all Malians can be exposed to a new way of managing this country instead of putting a bandage on a wound so deep.” For Samake, and hisnparty, it is a matter of “breaking the old tradition of governance in order to stem the roots of evil.” For him: “We must, however, find solutions to all the problems of society and it is in the idea of decentralization.” And he continued, “the fact that all power is held by some minority does not represent the diversity in Mali.”

We have not specifically connected with URD.

PACP, born under the embers of the URD, has resolutely focused around its destiny, namely: working to be accepted by the Malians with the vision it embodies. But beyond the old connections, there is not, according to Monsieur Yeah Samaké, a special relationship between his party and the URD, apart from personal friendship.The current management of the crisis in the north is no different than the current management of the country as a whole.

We think that, according to PACP, this must change, he has said. For the president of the Party for Civic Action and Patriotism: “Malians do not identify with the current leadership of the country. We must take into account the desire for change expressed by the people. Nevertheless, we must face them,” according to the PACP.

The crisis in the north is without doubt, the most discussed topic these days and for Niankoro Yeah Samake: “It is a problem that has been maintained since 1960. It has repercussions today. Those that have lead us have managed the solution as a bad habit of dressing the deep wounds. We need to consider sustainable solutions,” he argues. More than ever, we must remain united “united we all win, divided we lose all,” he said .

As for the claim of the Republic of AZAWAD, the president of PACP believes: “If there is a certain population that requires a certain portion of the country, this means that these people live alone.” To stem this evil, he advocated that each corner of Mali adds to the image of ethnic diversity, there is an interaction between the corners of the country. Finally for him: “the movement of people and their property need to be protected and make our borders less permeable.”

There are concerns about the elections.

The electoral contest, must soon take place in just three months.The social climate is not conducive to the good performance of these deadlines. This is the opinion of many Malians. According to the president, “the best thing is if all Malians can participate in the democratic expression. If the election were held today many Malians will be excluded. He appealed to government and ATT to take appropriate steps to ensure that peace and tranquility be returned to Mali, and above all safety. ”

Regarding the values of moral integrity among different candidates.

If the opportunities create new difficulties for PACP, the focus is turned to the high cost of living, poor education, difficult access to health care, that hang around as troubles afflicting our society. For the election of the fifth president of Mali, the president of PACP invites the Malians to hold the different candidates up to a standard of moral integrity.

Finally, he said of the wars that have claimed lives that “those who served the country, will serve it always, on our part we must return (our country to stability) for them.”

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Posted by on February 14, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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The spirit of Samake2012

12 Feb

The campaign has made some great headway in Mali. The faith in this campaign continues to grow strong both on the ground and from followers in America. There are new things that happen almost every day that strengthens our commitment and faith that we can win this election.

The one thing that does amaze me here is the spirit of volunteerism. People say that we do things only if there is some benefit to it. In other words, what they are saying is that human beings are very selfish beings that pursue the things that will benefit themselves. To be honest with you, if that is what is fueling people to support Samake2012, more power to them. If Malians realize what is at stake, they will be more likely to invest in it. Most of these Malians barely earn more than a $1/day. Most of these Malians have had children that have died from preventable diseases like malaria and dehydration. Most of these Malians have barely even made it to 7th grade because of the lack of middle schools in their village. Worse still is that even if they made it past college, now no jobs exist to help care for their families needs. Now, ask me if you think that these people are being driven to support Samake2012 for the wrong reasons. I think not.

On a daily basis I see people who give up of their time and efforts to benefit the campaign. A few of them have been with this campaign since its inception in early 2011. They do not benefit financially from this campaign. Some Malians like Coulibaly have come from as far off as New York City. Coulibaly left a job for a month to come to Mali so that he could campaign for Yeah in the remote areas like Mande in Mali. He has not benefited financially from this decision rather his commitment shows that he believes in the change Yeah could bring to Mali. There is Camara from France that also came to Mali for a week to help campaign in Beneko and other villages where he has contacts. There are others like Kadi, a young  lady, who volunteers at the PACP Headquarters, helping answer any questions that supporters may have. We have Zhu, our driver from Ouelessebougou, who has sacrificed time and even not seeing his family for weeks as he drives Yeah full-time in Bamako. We have Dra, a university student, who stays with us to help with any tasks that Yeah needs completed at short notice. Then we have Sibiri, our youth leader, who day in day out breathes this campaign. He is the one that spends his after work hours and weekends recruiting youth followers. There is Kane who is busy running around Bamako dealing with red tape we may run into. We have Fomba, our Secretary General, who is so committed to this campaign that he dedicates the free time he could be spending with his family so that he can campaign for Samake2012. Then there is Karim in Ouelessebougou who spends his free time on his motorcycle to travel to distant villages spreading the Samake2012 message. All these individuals usually will ask in return is money for gas. The biggest debt that cannot be paid back is time, heart and dedication. Then you go across the globe to America. The effects of Samake2012 and the belief in Yeah is amazing. There are the videographers from Goodline, Travis and Joe who came all the way to Mali, so that they could better envision Yeah’s message and effect and did amazing videos to showcase Yeah’s work. There is Cole, who also came to Mali at the same time, to help better design the Samake2012 website and has from the get-go done some brilliant work on the website, billboards and logo. There is Susan E. that does an amazing job with our social media on Twitter and has been a wonderful support to us. There are other wonderful people like Chris J, Kent, Lew, Scott and Julie, Yodit, Robert D, Ryan M, Bill B, Dave W., Brad S and others that donated of their valuable time and talents. Let’s not forget our wonderful interns Kyle and Liz who paid their own ticket to Mali so they could volunteer their time helping us on the ground.

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The Samake2012 campaign is no longer just a Malian campaign. It is a campaign that will affect the face of Africa and all the Western countries that come into touch with it. Think of it. Those of you who have met Yeah know of what he is capable of and what he has already done for his people. Those of you who haven’t, have read of his amazing journey and his contribution to Mali. Yeah has the ability to change Mali for the better. Without the volunteers, this campaign would have been hard. Never underestimate the value of yourself and what you can offer. If you believe that this campaign is an effort to break the chains of poverty, illiteracy and bad healthcare, then support us. The people on the ground in Mali need change. Every dollar counts. If every person we knew donated the money they used for one morning coffee, we could easily raise a $1000 in an hour. A $1000 helps us hold a rally in a big village. A $1000 can fill the gas tank of 50 motorcycles. Support does not have to be financial. The power of the human voice is unmatchable. Tell a friend. Tell 100 friends. Post it on Facebook, Twitter and any other outlet you can think of. We have the ability to win this. But we cannot do this without you. This isn’t about winning the election on April 29th 2012. However the election is the first step to creating a secure Mali of equality and better living conditions. Please help us. Click on the picture to donate today:

PLEASE SUPPORT SAMAKE 2012

You may also click below to donate:

https://secure.donationreport.com/donate.html?key=ZIXMMNJSKLPH

To signup to volunteer please go to: http://samake2012.com/volunteer/


 
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Posted by on February 12, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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Beneko celebrates its hope for Mali

08 Feb

Motorcycles heralded us into the village of Beneko, 20 minutes from Ouelessebougou, beeping their horns loudly and incessantly as a sign of welcome. And with this welcome PACP returned to the village of Beneko to reinforce its message of change and hope for a new Mali.

This rally was attended by about 150 people, a pretty good turnout for a midweek middle of the day rally. The elders of the village were there to greet the man that had built a school in their village. The women danced and sang their gratefulness not only for Yeah’s efforts but also the hope that Mali would elect Yeah as their new leader. The drumming in Beneko is some of the best drumming I have ever seen in Mali. The drummer was simply amazing and the beat was unmatchable. The rally began with singing and dancing to welcome PACP.

Then the representative of the village Coulibaly spoke. He introduced Yeah to Beneko by talking about all that he had accomplished. He spoke of how his own children had to be sent away to Bamako so that they could attend 7th, 8th and 9th grade. When the Beneko School was built by Yeah through MRF, he immediately brought his children back home so that they could go to school in their own village. He spoke of how because of this school the remaining children in Beneko could get a good education. There were even books in this school that children could refer to and read. In Mali, usually 4-5 children will share the same textbook. As you can imagine even though the tools exist, learning becomes almost impossible. Also present were representatives from the communes around Beneko. They too praised Yeah’s efforts and his willingness to come back to Mali so that his people’s needs could be answered. Then Yeah spoke. He spoke of his gratefulness to the people of Beneko for their kindness in welcoming PACP and also their kind words. He made a pledge that change would come under his leadership. Every child would be educated and every family would get the necessary healthcare. It was a rousing speech which was greeted by clapping. One of the women of Beneko came up and offered her friendship saying that now I had a friend in Beneko. The village also presented us with two chickens to thank us for coming to Beneko. I was very touched and humbled by this gesture and grateful for the kindness showed to our party in Beneko. Then the music began again and the drumming continued in earnest. Even the little children, that are usually scared of the toubabous( white people ) joined in.

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This event was great and reinforced why PACP continues its fight for the Presidency. Every child deserves an education like the children of Beneko. Every family deserves decent healthcare that will be available to the people of Beneko when the big hospital is completed in Ouelessebougou. The time is now. Let’s push this campaign that will change the life of generations of Malians. Are you in?

 
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Posted by on February 8, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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