Moving Mali Forward

As reported by KSL Reporter Stephanie Grimes

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=18463115#.TuZxUyDI1zM.facebook

“SALT LAKE CITY — Growing up in a poor village in sub-Saharan Africa, Yeah Samake never imagined himself to be the future front-runner in the 2012 Malian presidential race.

But that is exactly the position in which the Mali native and BYU alumnus finds himself as he visits Utah this week to raise funds for his 2012 campaign. Samake will host a free “family night” Monday at the UCCU Events Center at Utah Valley University, where attendees can learn about Samake’s upbringing and his plans for his campaign.

His story is one of “small miracles.” The Ouelessebougou, Mali, native attended school in a village where only 15 percent of children were able to do so.

After earning his undergraduate degree in Mali, a sponsorship by a Colorado family took Samake to Brigham Young University, where he graduated with a master’s degree in public policy and a desire to return to Mali and serve his country.

“Where much is given, much is expected,” Samake said. “I have been given much. I have been fortunate with the level of education I have. I can stay in America and enjoy the luxury and abundance here, and not go back to Mali and struggle, but I love my country.”

It was that love that led Samake to run for mayor of Ouelessebougou in 2009, where as a Latter-day Saint he received 86 percent of the vote in a town that was 90 percent Muslim.

“In Mali, religion is not a divider,” he said. “We are looking for someone who cares for the country, and has love of the country, but also has the skill set, the passion, to bring this country out of poverty.”

In two years as mayor, he made progress toward that goal in Ouelessebougou, turning it from a poor village in one of the poorest countries in the world into one of the top five economies in Mali. Samake said his success in Oulessebougou, a sister city to Salt Lake City that encompasses 44 villages, can be attributed to trust and transparency in government.

Samake met with the council of all of the city’s 44 villages to lay out a plan for improving the city, focusing on decreasing corruption and tax evasion.

“I covenanted — I promised — if they would pay their taxes, I would guarantee I would not misuse one cent of their money, and I would not let anyone else abuse it,” he said. “It meant a lot to them.”

That was, perhaps, because Malian government traditionally has been embroiled in corruption. Since opting for a democratic political system in 1991, the government has attempted to reform the tax code and the education and health sectors, but perceptions of corruption have actually increased. The problem is only aggravated by the high poverty rate: the average yearly income is only US$1,500 per person, and most Malians do not want to see their income disappear into the pockets of corrupt officials.

Between 2009 and 2010, though, tax payment in Ouelessebougou rose from 10 percent to 68 percent. Samake expects that number to reach 80-90 percent in 2011. He attributes the success to his creation of what he calls an elders quorum: two individuals from each village who overview quarterly the state of taxes in the city.

It was part of his plan to decentralize Ouelessebougou’s government and put power in the hands of the people instead of government officials; it is a plan he will apply to Mali if he is elected.

“Central government is not best suited to solve problems in local settings,” he said. “By giving power to the people and local leaders, we give them means and ways to come together and build a better environment locally.”

Samake said he imagines that if Mali were able to do this, the country would be in a very different situation than its current one.

“I was born 42 years ago in one of the poorest countries on earth,” he said. “Today, 42 years later, I’m running for president of one of the poorest countries on earth. Something is going wrong.”

Part of what went wrong is that leaders lost touch with why they were elected, said Samake, who believes leaders should exist to serve the citizens of their countries.

The importance of service is a lesson Samake says he took to heart at BYU and has not forgotten as he tries to effect change in a historically troubled country.

“I have seen freedom, and I hope to bring that same freedom to my country,” he said. “The passion for service that brought me to run for mayor is the same passion that is bringing me to run for president.”

“That’s why it makes sense for me to go back and give back to my country,” he continued. “Everything I am, I owe it first and foremost to my Lord, but also to my country.””

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                       BYU Grad running to be the President of Mali

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Yesterday was a very special day for the children of Manabougou. This village has seen many blessings for their children in the past year. In 2010, they were blessed with an elementary school donated by the Dixon family to honor their son, Ben Dixon. This village has kept this school beautifully and it looks as new as the day it was donated.  It houses 150 + students from grades 7 to 9. Yesterday, their blessings increased threefold. A special non-profit foundation by the name of Building Youth around the World (BYAW) arrived in Manabougou to gift bag packs filled with school supplies and hygiene kits. BYAW co-founder Ian McCracken, accompanied by Boy Scouts Joey and Braedon were welcomed by scores of Malian children as they donated the collected equipment.

The initiation and planning of this donation which began in December 2010 finally saw its realization in the happy faces of the children that received these bag packs. However this is not the only thing that will be donated. The biggest donation is of musical instruments, band uniforms, music books and band equipment to schools in Mali. This is a huge deal as this kind of donation is almost unheard of. This will enable the children of certain schools to learn to read music and also play multiple instruments. Music is such an integral part of Malian society that what this organization has done is enabled the dreams of children that may want to become musicians in the future. Also, BYAW has donated the following items:

• 100 band instruments (55 marching band instruments and 45 smaller children’s instruments for the other school
• 90 music books and musical instrument pieces (i.e., reeds, oil, slide cream, etc.)
• 150 band uniforms (i.e., white shirts with logo)
• 40 wood musical stands to put music books on for practice
• 2 dental chairs, 2 swivel chairs and an air compressor
• App. 30 children’s chairs and 15 desks and chairs
• 4 teachers desks and 1 filing cabinet
• 1,000 pounds of children’s clothing
• 1,000 pounds of school supplies (will be put into 150 backpacks that will be purchased in Mali and distributed to each child at the Manabougou school)
• 170 pairs of sandals and shoes
• 1,500 pound replacement brick making machine part
• 10 boxes of school supplies for the Ben  Dixon school
• 450 dental hygiene kits to include toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, etc. to go in backpacks for each child and their families at Mana school
• 200 medical kits to include soap, and towels, combs, etc. to go in backpacks for each child and their families
• 8 solar panels
• 80 + stuffed animals and dolls for the smaller children at the other school
• Playground equipment (i.e., balls, jump ropes, Frisbees, etc.)
• Other miscellaneous

This is a very generous donation and will no doubt touch the lives of many school children in the villages where Yeah’s Mali Rising Schools are located. These donations will ease their lives for a bit. Warm clothes for the winter, school supplies as they attend school and the ability to live more hygienic lives will bless them. The event in Manabougou is just the first of many over the next few days as the rest of the items are donated.

Also in this container, there are many generous donations from Scott Dixon and family like computers and solar panels for existing schools and dental chairs for clinics in Ouelessebougou region. The Dixon family has been an integral part of helping the children of Mali, West Africa. Their deep love and dedication towards serving the people of Mali has taught me how to be a more giving person. It has also impacted the paths of many lives here.

We have but one life. I am blessed to know such generous people that are willing to give of themselves and their resources to make a child smile and to help alleviate the struggles of the lesser fortunate. We all have the ability to make a difference, but it is few that will take the opportunity to make an impact and help. Not for themselves, not for fame and glory, but for the simple pleasure of making a fellow human being smile.

Building Youth Around the World: http://www.buildyouth.org/

The meetings and events continue with such a vigor that is familiar with a campaign in progress. Yeah seems to continue his efforts with determination and to his fellow-candidates, effortless. This past weekend, there were three major events that occurred. The first was in Yeah’s home base of Ouelessebougou. The youth, which is a significant portion of the voting base, came to see Yeah and offer their support. They wanted to better understand the campaign plan and platform. They were also eager to know what progress was being made by Yeah’s party PACP in other parts of the country. This is amazing to see the youth so mobilized. It makes me think back to Obama’s campaigning in America when he lit a fire under the youth. The hope is to light a similar fire to help vote Yeah into office. The hope is for a better Mali with jobs, a decent health care system and a more stable education system that will help vault Mali out of its position as the 2nd poorest country. I’m not saying Yeah can change this country overnight, but Mali deserves strong, honest leadership.

The next village that Yeah’s team went to was Beneko. Yeah, as part of Mali Rising, has done a lot of good in this village. The Cliff and Nita Bailey School of Beneko was built here. Also there have been significant donations of textbooks, solar panels and computers to this school that will enable the children of Beneko to beat the darkness of illiteracy. The meeting in Beneko was a big one. Leaders from the surrounding eleven villages ( Bénéco, Denfra, Kolena, Banancoro, Dianicoro, Zélabougou and others) came to hear Yeah and his party speak. They came with an enthusiasm that knew no bounds and were eager to urge their candidate on. It is exciting to see the enthusiasm that is so evident in Beneko and to hope that this excitement will spread like a wild fire among the other areas of Mali. I can hardly wait for active campaigning to start in January. This region (that Yeah hails from) has not seen a candidate for the last 50 years. This is an exciting time for this region as they show support and put their faith in one man, and that man is none other than Yeah Samaké. Yeah Samaké, whose great grandfather seven generations ago, founded Ouelessebougou, whose father was a respected man in the village and who himself has done much for his country without financially benefiting.

The last meeting which was the most exciting was in Sankarani. The reason I say most exciting is not because there was a huge crowd but rather it best embodies the spirit of the willingness to accept change. This is exciting because the party welcomed a mayor and his five councilors. Toumani Sidibé, mayor of the rural town of Sankarani in Wassoulou left his party URD for PACP. These individuals publicly denounced their own parties and joined PACP. They left a big party that has been around for 50 years.

In the Malian Newspaper: Yeah Samaké en meeting à Ouéléssebougou et Sankarani : «Le couplage des élections présidentielle et référendaire est une imposture

http://maliweb.net/category.php?NID=84007&intr

The support grows day by day. This support is very important as it shows the undecided voters where there seems to be the biggest support. It will mobilize voters to investigate Yeah and see what he truly stands for. These meetings take a lot of time and effort. They require driving hours one way to make sure the word spreads. In a country where the biggest advertiser is word of mouth, these meetings are essential to the campaign and its success. These meetings however also take a lot of money that is eaten up by travel expenses. If you believe in what we are doing, show your support at http://www.samake2012.com and take the opportunity to affect a country’s political landscape and effect the personal lives of Malians. You don’t have to be rich like Angelina Jolie or even appointed by the UN to make a difference. Vive PACP and Vive Mali!

Party Headquarters

An important part of this election will be the youth of Mali. A significant percentage of the voting population fall between the ages of 18-30. These are also the generation that seems to be most affected by the slump that Mali is in. Many of this age group find themselves educated but without a job. Some of them find themselves uneducated because they could not afford to leave their family livelihood to go to school or could not afford to go to Bamako for college. Still more find that they do not have the right skills to succeed in the job market.

Yeah is the candidate for change. Education will be an important section of his platform for a new Mali. Yesterday, Yeah met with a youth group at the HQ in Faladie. He encouraged them to organize themselves so that they could affect the election and the future of their country. It is meetings like this that are so important to the strength of the campaign.

I admire the Malian woman greatly. I thought I was busy as I struggled to fulfill all that was expected of me as a wife, mother and manager in the workforce. I could not be more wrong. Malian women are much busier. Their day starts before the sun rises and continues much after the sun sets. They usually will work from 5 am to 11pm. They cook, clean, make sure their family’s needs are met, and some even work in the market. I can’t think of women that work harder than in this country. An initial meeting a week ago with the woman leaders brought to light a need among the women in the military camp. A mill. Therefore it gave me great pleasure to donate a mill to a woman group in a military camp.

Initial meeting with women group

The mill will help these women grind their own millet instead of going outside and paying someone else to do it. Also, with it being located within the camp, women won’t have to travel far to grind their millet. Millet is a key food in the Malian diet. The event started at 6 pm and was attended by all the women in the military compound from the young girls to the older women. The women’s committee welcomed me so warmly and with such great songs that I felt honored to be able to help. There were griots singing praises and welcoming the gift. Yeah spoke, welcoming the women to the event. He spoke about how he wanted change for the country and how when he became president, military families would receive greater benefits than they do today. He also spoke about how today’s children are so important and how education is essential to their success. Then we did the official ribbon cutting.

This was an awesome opportunity to celebrate the women in the military community. Also it gave women an opportunity to see what Yeah’s wife really looks like and what I stand for. It gave me the opportunity to get to know what their needs are. Women are the cornerstone of Malian society just like they are the cornerstone of the family. This was an effort to reduce some of the work these military women have on a daily basis. I was blessed with this great opportunity and here’s to many more opportunities like this.

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Yeah made his way to Tombouctou, this past week, to meet supporters in this distant region of Mali. Tombouctou does actually exist and if you had a mom like mine, you were banished there almost every week. I actually didn’t know it was a real place till I met Yeah, and even then I thought he was pulling my leg for the first few months. The goal of the meeting was to introduce Yeah and PACP to the different regions in Tombouctou.

Located in the North of Mali, Tombouctou Region is one of the administrative regions of Mali. It is the largest of the eight regions and includes a large section of the Sahara desert. For administrative purposes the region is subdivided into five cercles.

The meeting was set up by the Mayor of Bourem City Mohammed Toure. In attendance were the PACP Coordination Committees and at least 200 people. The meeting began with intro by Sulemane Samaké, who eloquently presented the vision of PACP and the values of its candidate. He talked about the major accomplishments and the things that Yeah has actually done for his country without personally benefiting.

Then came the most important part of the one and half hour meeting. There was a Q & A held. Issues ranging from education to health care were discussed. The most important issue discussed was regarding the insecurity in the region and its effect on tourism. Currently, most Western countries have a travel advisory out for the Northern region of Mali. The problem has affected Mali because Al Qaeda has captured foreigners in other countries and then brings them across the border into Mali. This will be a huge concern that needs to be dealt with if Yeah is elected. Tombouctou, without the travel warnings, could be a very beneficial touristic spot. Every year the Festival in the Desert attracts scores of musicians from every genre. During three days, around 30 artistic groups are invited from all around the world to present their art.( http://www.festival-au-desert.org/).

This faraway region is extremely important to the candidacy. It will be important to build lasting relationships with the leaders and people of Tombouctou. Not only for security and stability reasons but to also hone the importance, innocence and beauty of this touristic place.

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Today Americans in a symbol of solidarity celebrate Thanksgiving. As they prepare that turkey/chicken, make that stuffing and gather with friends and family, the one thing that most will do is give thanks. They will give thanks for their blessings and their family and friends.

Today, I too want to join in that age old tradition. Thanksgiving was a very foreign concept to me. It was not something that I knew of or celebrated till I went to America 9 years ago. Then it became a symbol for all the things I had and all the things I could share with those foreigners that did not have as much as I did. Every year for the last 6 years, Yeah and I were honored to host Thanksgiving at our home. We have been blessed. Our family is healthy and happy. I hope we can continue to share those blessings with those around us.

I am also thankful for our families. They have made the dreams we are seeking to achieve seem possible.  I can’t think of anyone that is more blessed than I am. I have a wonderful husband that never settles for anything other than the best. I have two healthy, happy children. I have amazing parents that loved me, gave me the best education and prepared me for a successful future. I have a gazillion in-laws through Yeah who care. I have food on the table and a warm bed at night.

I am grateful for all the families that similarly welcomed us into their homes and hearts as we found our way in America. Thank you to Mom and Dad Allen, the Arringtons, Yodit Solomon, the Dixon family, Grandma Moser and Lo, the Illes’, Mia Chase, the Greens, the Bohns, the Graves, the Ferrells, the Sorbonnes, the Winstons, the Strattons, the Palmers, the Lymans, the Fritzsches, the Durtschis and many many others.

You all have impacted our lives in so many ways. You have made it possible for us to think big and achieve what we have set our hearts on. Happy Thanksgiving!

The black marks the regions where Yeah/PACP have been

The day started out early as Yeah headed out to Kayes. I found myself fortunate to accompany him on this trip. Thinking the kids could do to see some place other than Bamako and Ouelessebougou. The trip to Kayes was a very long drive. We drove consistently for about 10 hours.

The region of Kayes is bordered to the north by Mauritania, to the west by Senegal, to the south by Guinea and to the east by the region of Koulikoro. In 2009 the region has a population of 1,996,812 inhabitants.

The trip consisted of multiple stops to campaign. The first stop, 5 hours into the road trip, we stopped by Diema. A group of community leaders had gathered to greet Yeah and also ask how they could best support Yeah. Here is a community where the senator was willing to skip an important meeting so that he could be there to meet Yeah. The meeting consisted of welcoming Yeah to the village. There is an interesting tradition that this village displayed. There were two men that carried a conversation between themselves about Yeah and all that he has done so far in Mali. They did this loudly for the benefit of all parties present. Then, the mayor and senator welcomed Yeah as well. Yeah then spoke. He spoke of a change that needs to happen with how government is run. He thanked the various groups for the kind welcome and taking time out of their busy day to come welcome him. This was an important meeting aimed at the key groups in this village. When the leaders of a village are affected, they in turn will go and spread the word to all those that interact with on a daily basis.

Woman Group

Yeah greeting the crowd

Party Representative in the Village

We continued our onward journey to Kayes. We stopped in Khouloun, a small village by the water. This is such a scenic spot. The village is only accessible by boat. We had to cross in one to meet the villagers. It was awesome! This was my first of this kind boat ride. Now I am not the bravest when it comes to depths or heights, but this was a great experience. As we crossed the river, we heard the drums beating and saw the villagers anxiously waiting on the other side. When we reached the banks, we were greeted by scores of children. We were led to the main meeting place where the entertainment began.  In this village, each girl wears a headdress that is contiguous with the age group she belongs to. Each of the groups performed to beating drums. When the entertainment concluded, the brother of the dugutigi (chief of the village), welcomed us to the village. Here too in this village was an interesting tradition. Here the people of rank did not speak to each other directly. There was a third person that repeated everything that one person said to the other. It was quite interesting to observe. The dugutigi’s brother expressed his support for Yeah and committed his village to helping Yeah achieve his goal of the Presidency.The mayor too, Assa Mady Diallo, welcomed Yeah to his village and explained the current water issues that his village was having. Yeah promised that he would try to find a solution to the water drinking problem.

View of Khouloun

Boat Ride

Crowds gather in Khouloun

The third party speaker is the one standing.

The brother of the dugutigi

These visits were great. They showcased the region very well and also the people whose hearts Yeah will need to capture to win the Presidency. The one thing I noticed here was that people had a genuine aura of happiness. There seemed to be no put on show. The gratitude and joy they expressed to see us was not put on. The peace that existed in these villages was a peace in their way of life. It was a great experience and I am glad that I got to go.

The support is mounting. This region is essential to Yeah’s success. Yeah has the ability to do much good and bring many of the same projects ( like the water pumps, solar panels, high school and hospital). The question is, will the chance be given to someone who wants to affect change.