Moving Mali Forward

Since Yeah announced the official registration of his party, mayors and city councils from around the country are calling in to support him and PACP. Yeah has been busy this past week working with the Latter-day Charities to bring water projects to regions of Mali that don’t have water pumps/wells. ( More to come on this in the coming blog post)

This exciting support is best represented by this newspaper( French version found at the link below):

http://maliweb.net/category.php?NID=83439

Présidentielle de 2012 : Les maires des communes d’Ouroun et Syentoula rallient Yeah Samaké

Translated by Google Translate:

“Just born, the new political Ouéléssebougou the mayor of the Civic Action Party and Patriotic (PACP), membership records already massive. On Friday, two mayors and a dozen councilors of the CDS-Mogotiguiya, the URD, ADEME, the RPM, the MPR and the party Barica showed their support for Samaké Yeah, from the perspective of upcoming 2012 presidential election.

November 12^th marked the first major press conference for Yeah and his officially registered party PACP (Parti Pour L’Action Civique Et Patriotique). The media, represented by 10 newspapers, radio stations and 2 major TV networks, showed up in huge numbers for this big announcement. The announcement consisted mainly of making PACP officially known to Mali.

The media in Mali represent the people in such a facet that if you win the media you could win the people. The media represents the common man’s interest and their initial stand is to make sure a candidate is all he says he is. In simpleton terms, they will rip you apart unless you can prove yourself. Stress gripped the party’s members before the big conference. However PACP would have little to fear. The conference was a huge success.

Yeah, surrounded by his committee, presented the platform that PACP stood for. That is, unity of all Malians to work hard so that country as a whole will progress and develop. (Unité—Travail—Progrés).  Yeah displayed the official document showing the registration of PACP with the Ministere De L’Administration Territoriale et des Collectivites Locales under the direction of party leaders Yeah Samaké, Garba Konate and Fomba. As soon as he had presented his part and what the hope of PACP was the questions started flying. Yeah during his presentation advised the journalists that though his party was new, they were not scared to compete with the bigger parties.

Official Paper showing PACP registration

PACP Committee

PACP Committee

Reporters

The questions from the journalists were deep. One journalist asked Yeah whether he had created a new party because his old party URD (which is the biggest party) did not choose him as candidate. This presented Yeah with the perfect opportunity to speak about the values that PACP had that URD did not represent. Also when you have a party that has been around for so long it becomes hard to change ideals and keep in touch with what is essential for your people. Also in a country that is 90% Muslim, the question was asked about how Yeah being a Christian would fare to which Yeah advised the journalists not to divide Malians based on religion. When religion and ethnicity is used to determine rights, democracy as a whole is threatened.

The press conference was amazing and a step in the right direction. It was a shout out to all the political parties around that this campaign was not to be won on words but rather on what a Malian can give back to his country. No individual Malian has brought as many health/dental groups to Mali to do humanitarian work. No individual Malian has garnered support from abroad to build 13 elementary schools and 1 middle school in remote regions. No individual Malian has fought for the rights for his own constituents and had the central government invest a high school and hospital in his own commune. No single Malian has obtained scholarships to American schools that can be distributed to Malian children. No other city in Mali has as big a solar panel field as Yeah’s city. Not many other Malians have deserted a great paying job and comfortable life style to come back to the second poorest country in the world in the hopes of giving his people a hand up. Yes, I believe Yeah Samaké is here to make a difference without sinking his country to the poorest country in the world. Success to PACP.

Articles ONLINE
Le maire Yeah Samaké, président du Pacp : « Le timing des reformes est inapproprié »

http://www.maliweb.net/category.php?NID=83149&intr=

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The PACP National Committee came together on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for a series of meetings to prepare for the official announcement of the party. Yeah’s party Parti Pour L’Action Civique Et Patriotique (PACP) is now officially registered and recognized in Mali. The hardwork and persistence in getting through the bureaucracy finally paid off. And no one was paid an extra dime to make this process go faster!!

A new fire has been lit under the team. The meeting of the National Committee of the party attracted more people in attendance than the number of committee members. Many supporters came to express enthusiasm and more importantly some members that had disappeared from party activities for a while returned with a stronger enthusiasm. Some expressed the firm belief that they felt that they were in the presence of the next president of Mali. They pledged their support and strong commitment to get Yeah elected as President of Mali.

This is an exciting development. Each day, Yeah picks up new mayors and new supporters. The idea of a campaign run cleanly and without embezzling public money is starting to pick up popularity.

PACP will officially announce its existence tomorrow 11/12/2011 at 10 am in a press conference. This is an exciting moment for PACP as they announce to Mali that they are here to stay and reach the top among all the other candidates.

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Muslims all over Mali and all over the world in a symbol of solidarity celebrated Tabaski from Sunday to Tuesday. Tabaski or Eid-al-Adha is known as the Festival of Sacrifice. This is an important festival that commemorates the end of Hajj but more importantly the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God. In Mali, this festival is celebrated with much happiness and is usually accompanied by the killing of a sheep or goat, depending on the wealth of the family. Those Muslims who can afford, i.e Malik-e-Nisaab; sacrifice their best domestic animals (usually a cow, but can also be a camel, goat, sheep or ram depending on the region) as a symbol of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his only son. The meat from the sacrificed animal is divided into three parts. The family retains one third of the share; another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbors; and the other third is given to the poor and needy. The regular charitable practices of the Muslim community are demonstrated during Eid al-Adha by concerted efforts to see that no impoverished person is left without an opportunity to partake in the sacrificial meal during these days

This time too, the children of Ouelessebougou came by ringing in greetings of “I sambe I sambe”. They waited patiently as each got a candy brought specially by Yeah on his US trip.

Children greeting

This time was a little different though. There were more relatives in town. From Bamako, my brother in law Drissa, his wife Eugene and 5 girls, my sister in law Mama and her four kids, and Yeah, me and my two devils joined the fun at my brother-in-law Bei’s house. He has 7 kids, so you can imagine the craziness and yes the lines to the outdoor bathrooms.

As soon as Morning Prayer ended at 9am, my two brothers in law killed the two sheep that my brother-in-law Moussa had purchased for the occasion. Moussa is currently stationed in Haiti. These sheep are expensive by Malian standards. Each runs about $150 and usually families will all pitch in and buy one together. We were blessed to have too. When I asked my brother in law Bei, what would be done with the extra meat, he told me that the meat would be distributed to the poorer families.

The sacrifice

The most interesting part and also the most challenging part was being consigned to cook. I am not opposed to cooking at all. However cooking in foreign circumstances with charcoal and wood fires outside and understanding the language minimally was bound to be a challenge. Nevertheless, I decided to take the challenge head on. My sisters in law Eugene and Mama had kindly sewn for me a uniform that all wives that were cooking were to wear. Hating to disappoint and not wanting to further encourage an opinion that I was unwilling to fit in, I went in for the ride. We started off cutting the meat into smaller pieces and making a marinade. After soaking the meat in for a while, we started putting the meat on skewers and burning them on coal grill. These are called brochette and are very popular in Mali. This took about 4 hours to cook all the meat.

My sister-in-law Eugene

The first plates of meat were given to the men as is customary while the second plate was taken to the older women. Only when these parties were served, we could eat. The kids ate next and last the cooking staff. It is interesting for me to note the pecking order in Malian culture. The male dominated environment is very prominent but it was nice to note the deep respect given to the elderly as well. While we were cooking, our maids were cooking the main lunch meal. By the time we finished cooking, lunch was ready to eat. It was hard work cooking in the hot sun and near hot coals. I have a new found admiration for Malian women. They do this day in and day out usually starting their day at 5am and ending it at 11pm when the last man or baby is fed bathed and put to bed. By 4pm, I was ready for a shower and a long nap which I gave into. I am glad for the experience and think I would be willing to do this again for a special occasion.

While I was cooking Keanen had learnt the simple words “I Sambe Sambe” in an attempt to get his grandma and uncles to give him money. In Mali, kids will go greeting the neighbors in exchange for money or candy. Keanen, forever the businessman, was only too happy to experiment this theory and even came by and said it to me. When I didn’t pay up, he said, “Mom you owe me some money”. Carmen was not that interested in the money. All she cared about was the meat. As soon as Keanen had his money collected, he told Yeah that he wanted to go to the store and buy everything that added up to the money he collected rather than what he wanted. Guess, I’m going to have to teach him to buy what he needs rather than all the things money can buy.

The rest of the time that day and the next two days was spent visiting and also being visited. It is always interesting to note the huge number of people that pay respects to Yeah given his position. This time I was a lot more prepared with my benedictions. Here are some old ones and new ones that I learned for the occasion:

Sitigiya la : May you have a long life

Fatigiya la: May your father have a long life

Batigiya la: May your mother have a long life

Balimatigiya la: May your relatives have a long life

Cetigiya la/Musotigiya la: May your husband/wife have a long wife

K’a ke an seli folo ye a kana ke an seli laban ye: May it be our first feast and not our last

K’I si ke negebere ye: May your life be as solid as an ironstick

Ala ka hine tabaaw la: May God have pity on the departed.

The answer to each blessing is “Amina” followed by: Ala ka dugaw minay( May God accept these blessings).

These benedictions are an indication of how deeply entrenched Malian culture is in religion. A lot of their life is left in the hands of God and you will often find Malians respond to something as unimportant as whether you will see them the next day with “Ala sonna” which means “If God wills”. Many Malians see their current situation as dependent on their maker.

To celebrate Tabaski, Yeah, as part of his campaign, hosted a musician in Ouelessebougou to entertain the youth. The concert started at 6pm and went into the wee hours of the morning. It brought the youth out in droves while sending a strong message that Yeah was here to encourage the youth to come out and represent their voice.

Petit Ballo Performs

As we head back to Bamako, I can’t help but reflect what a wonderful first Tabaski this was. It was nice to spend time with extended family and start of the campaigning again. I look forward to the months ahead. April 2012 here we come. I sambe sambe to one and all.

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So after a month traveling in the United States (Utah, New York and Washington D.C), Yeah returned home. His trip in the US was met with more support this time and yielded greater benefits. There were a number of events planned in all 3 states to garner more support, both financial and other talents. All in all a very successful US trip. He will probably be back in December to raise more money. We are fortunate to have so many wonderful people in all three states that have sacrificed their personal time and money to support the Samaké 2012 campaign. It is this belief and kindness that will push Yeah to the forefront of his campaign in Mali.

The kids were probably more excited to see Yeah than I was. Well actually, I should say Carmen. Her father’s pet, Carmen was hysterically happy as soon as she saw Yeah and is still is. Scott and Julie Dixon were kind enough to buy the kids some Halloween costumes, which three days later that are still wearing. They only take it off to shower and go to bed. Carmen is so cute in her fairy princess outfit while Keanen jumps around as Spiderman. Also it was like a mini-Christmas in my house thanks to the Dixon’s kindness.

Already Yeah is back to work and the meetings have renewed as if he never left. The opportunity is amazing and we are excited to see this campaign to its full realization.

We are all glad to have Yeah home again and are excited to see the campaign go forward with a renewed gusto.

More updates to come…

Spiderman and Fairy Princess. Excited!!

Carmen intrigued by Keanen's mask

Bunny blanket

Keanen’s new puppy blanket

I can hardly believe that 4 months have passed by so quickly. Actually to be honest this entire year has swept by like a tornado changing the face of things in its path. This past year has seen many changes, the biggest of which has been Yeah’s political bid. The second big change has been the huge culture shock for me and the kids as we moved over and I even think for Yeah in some regards as he tried to handle a family in his environment. However the warm welcome from Yeah’s family and friends has made the move easier.

Right now Yeah is in the US trying to raise funds for the campaign. The people of Utah have been extremely kind and gracious to Yeah and his fund-raising would be impossible without the belief that Utahans have for this campaign. As he leaves for New York and DC, there are many events in store that will allow Yeah to reach out to Malians living abroad in these key cities. It is important for Yeah to reach out to these Malians that see no opportunities in their home country. The one thing that these Malians possess is knowledge of a different way of life and education that can allow them to make a marked difference in Mali, if the opportunity to do so arose. But how do you bring back an individual from one of the richest countries in the world to one of the poorest. By creating opportunities business-wise and improving living conditions. It will be essential as Yeah makes his bid known in New York and DC to show these Malians that Mali can be restored to its former wealth under the right leadership.

The time in Mali has given me the opportunity to step back from the rigor and routine of life in America. In Utah, 4 months ago, a day would have constituted getting the kids ready for daycare, getting to work, picking the kids after work, going home and crashing. Today, I feel more relaxed as I can plan my day according to my wants rather than my needs. I also have been able to spend more time with the kids and that is a definite plus. They have both taken this move extremely well. But then they say kids are more resilient than adults. They still talk about Utah a lot. They talk about seeing their Grandma Moser again or their white grandma as they call her. Keanen keeps asking me when we will go back and that is an answer I cannot give. Carmen throws an amazing tantrum every time her name and school are used in the same sentence. She says the only way she will go to daycare is if it is back in Utah with her friend Quinn. I should probably just put her in one but once they hear her screaming the day care may pay me to keep her at home. Kean is doing wonderful at school. Looking at him, I can’t believe how nervous he was just two months ago. He has made friends with a boy named Habib that grew up in London. So yes while they speak English to each other, Kean is attempting to pick up French. I am very proud of him for being so brave and adaptable.

The other nice thing is that the kids and I have found a few interesting places in Mali that in a way brings a lot of memories about America. One is them is the National Park of Mali. This is a gorgeous place that is filled with different fauna, many small eating places, clean bathrooms ( a definite must) and three large American style playgrounds. The kids simply love going there and it is a great way to spend the afternoon. My kids are huge on sand boxes and so they have a blast making sand angels. I’m afraid the park will start charging us a sand fee for all the sand we take home.  The zoo is slated to open next year and boasts the same beauty that the National Park holds. I am excited to see the changes given the state of it two years ago when I came. We also found an Ice Cream place, thanks to my good friend Dianna that is very much like Baskin Robbins. Oh my goodness, the place was God sent in a country where even winter is like summer. The kids were in seventh heaven and have asked to go back almost on a daily basis.

Yummy Icecream at the Park

Fun Day at the Park

Ice Cream Fun at the Park

At an Indian Restaurant Namaste in Bamako, Mali

Inspecting an Indian samosa

All in all, Mali is slowly becoming more comfortable and more of a home to me and my family. Sometimes it is the small things that matter. Even our home in Bamako has become more familiar and comfortable to serve our needs here.

Here are some pictures of our home:

Living Room

Chilling

Peanut Butter Sandwich Yum

Kid's Room

Carmen's pictures

Keanen's art

As we gear up for campaign months ahead, it is a hope that Yeah will continue to build the momentum he needs to win. His chances are very real with no true leader showing right now. Yeah right now is the only candidate that has not embezzled public money in the past. If anything he has given back more in terms of 13 schools built through Mali Rising Foundation, running water, solar panels, the first high school and hospital in Ouelessebougou in his role as Mayor.  I have never known the man to abuse an opportunity. If given an opportunity, he can direct his country in the path of success towards a brighter future. Think of it, we as parents wish only the best for our children and as children ourselves we wish our own parents to be comfortable .It’s almost the same for Yeah who wants his motherland to succeed and wants his fellow Malians to prosper as they could if given the right opportunities.

I am excited for the campaign to reach its peak and for the dream to be realized.

Arche De Kamandjan in Siby

The Beauty that is Siby

The campaign moves ahead as Yeah’s leaders in Mali continue to make PACP known. A successful meeting was held in Siby, a tourist location about 1 hour away from the main city of Bamako. Siby is a rural municipality in Mali. It is located in the Cercle of Kati in the Koulikoro Region, 50 km from Mali’s capital Bamako. The municipality of Siby has a population of 18,983 inhabitants.

17 people attended. I was disappointed at first at the number but then as the meeting progressed one saw the leadership potential in each of these individuals. Each of these individuals has the potential to create a Yeah Samake/PACP club on their own. Looking at the possibilities, the word will spread faster when there are leaders that can take action on their own. There were even two individuals from a neighboring village. The word is spreading fast. The election is fast approaching. Before we know it, April will be open us and Malians will be given the opportunity to choose their next President.

Excited at the progress on the ground!!

Danaya and Niamakoro partnership

Today was a very special day. I got to attend an event where Yeah was one of the sponsors. The event was even more special as it highlighted a topic close to my heart. That is: education. The event was held by the Danaya Association and highlighted the donation of money and books to the school children of Niamakoro.

The number of children was amazing. As soon as we pulled up, we were greeted by children from all age groups. The main sponsors of the event were world famous Malian musician Habib Koite and Yeah. Habib has played all over the world and has even had two concerts in Utah. In his role today, he was representing UNICEF. He is the first ever Malian UNICEF Ambassador.

Habib Koite

Meeting with Habib in 2006

The event was well prepped and I immensely enjoyed having the honor to represent Yeah. This is the first time I have attended a public gathering without Yeah. Yeah is currently in Utah prepping for his foundation’s 8^th annual dinner event and also raising funds for his campaign. The welcome throughout the program was recognizable and the children were grateful for the donation.

As you by now know, where there is a Malian celebration, there has to be music. There were many songs and performances. There was even a young boy about 9 years old that imitated Habib in a song. Habib was so impressed that he got up and started offering the boy some pointers. In addition there were some local artists from Niamakoro that graced this wonderful occasion.

Then I gave my first speech in Bambara. Ok I kid. 🙂 I wish I could have to let these children know how proud I was to be part of this great event. Yeah’s representative, Fomba gave the speech. He focused on Yeah’s love for educating Mali and how he had found opportunities for many children to go study abroad. He was followed by Habib. Habib spoke to the children and encouraged them to study harder from morning to evening. He also talked to them about the importance of being diligent about cleaning their hands so that they would not get sick. The event ended with a song by Habib surrounded by almost sixty children singing loud. It was quite a sight to see.

I loved what this event represented. It represented the resources to make education a reality for many children. With the books donated, the children will now have the opportunity to read rather than to just copy everything from the board since the teacher is the only one that has a copy. It represents the financial resources to pay for teachers and supplies for the students. We are lucky in the West. We have schools that are equipped to teach our children. We complain in the West that 40 children are too many in a classroom. Come to Africa and sixty children crammed into tiny desks will be a common sight. In the West we complain about how students don’t have enough books. Come to Mali and you will see three to four children hover over one text book if they are lucky. We have it good in the West. I believe that every child should have the opportunity to learn. The events from today showed me how strong girls are in school. More girls received awards than boys. However how does a girl continue to succeed and grow to be something other than a housewife when the opportunities are lacking for girls? It is an expectation that a girl will grow up, marry and have kids. This is not a bad thing. The bad thing is that this is their only fate. If the opportunities were there, girls would know that they could become doctors, judges and politicians.

Reaching for their dreams.

When we win the Presidency in Mali, I hope to pioneer a movement that will make education the root of a child’s development. I hope to not only continue the great work that the Foundation is doing but also work with educators in Mali on ways to make education a priority for the youth. If the youth fail in this generation, the next generation of the Malian workforce will be lazy and uneducated. Then there is no hope towards turning the clock back. Mali will only sink deeper into literacy and poverty.

Here is to many more projects like the one today. May education take Mali by a storm and may all children in Mali have the right to study and have their desired career.

Out of sight in some circumstances is not out of mind. Such is the case of Yeah’s campaign here in Mali. With Yeah gone to the US to do some more fundraising the possibility arises that the campaign will slow down on home turf. As I write this some more meetings and events are being planned to raise awareness about Samake2012 both in Mali and on US soil. I am excited to see the campaign gain in leaps and bounds. Mayors all over Mali are speaking their support. The youth in some regions are energized to have their time. Malians are hoping for a ethical government and better living standards. Samake2012 is definitely in the air in Mali!

The kids too miss their dad. Any Malian man speaking loudly outside our gates or a car honking is enough to make Keanen rush to the door and say, “Dad’s home”. Keanen is busy adjusting to school. He’s already speaking French fluently. I’m kidding. He just says all his English words with a French accent. He amazes me sometimes as I think he has grown up so fast. Just the other day, he was telling me what steam is. He started by questioning me and saying, “Now mommy I have told you this before, do you remember what steam is”. My innocent reply was, “ No Kean, I don’t remember” to which he said ever so patiently, “ I will tell you again, it is very hot water, don’t forget”. : ) Carmen seems to be on an emotional rollercoaster. Whoever said age two was terrible must have taken sleeping pills when their kid was three, because age three is traumatic. I think she spends more time in timeout than actually with me. Hope it will pass..soon.

Life in Mali is not the same without Yeah. Home is where the heart is. I wish him success as he travels in the US fundraising. I also ask anyone and all that if you know someone who can help, whether it is financially or to help spread the word, set a meeting up with Yeah. He can be reached at samake2012@gmail.com.

Together we can make principled leadership a norm in Mali. Success to Samake2012!

As the heat rapidly reached 95 degree temperatures, so did the two cars carrying twelve members of the PACP, reach their destination. Their destination was none other than San. San is a town and commune and capital of the Cercle of San in the Ségou Region of Mali. San is the center of bògòlanfini production, a traditional Malian fabric.

PACP was there for one purpose alone and that was to make their mission of change for Mali heard.

Yeah and his party were welcomed with open arms. San is located 4 hours away from Bamako, Mali. Yeah left Bamako with his group in the wee hours of the morning.

As soon as the party reached San, the meetings commenced. The party leaders met first, as is customary, with the dugutigi( the village chief). The dugutigi in his own way is a very powerful man and together with the mayor, these two individuals ensure that the town is run with order. Next, Yeah met with the Imam, the Muslim holy leader.

San is an important area in the campaign trail. As midday approached, the huge event that had been in the planning stages for 3 months saw light. Yeah and PACP were greeted with pomp and style. The crowds were an amazing sight to see. There were at least a 1000 people there and it was amazing to see a mix of old and young, middle class and poor, men and women that could be potential supporters. Even the mayor of San was there to welcome Yeah. I say that with some surprise as the mayor is of another major political party.

The event commenced with some good old African drums and dancers. Its hard to believe the energy that these individuals have constantly jumping around and moving simultaneously in 95 degree weather. The grioles came to welcome Yeah as well. The grioles tell stories of the person being honored. They almost embarrassed Yeah with their deep praises.You could almost see a black man blush 🙂

The Amazing crowd

Then came the serious part of the event. The speeches resounded one common message. PACP was there to change things for the better. Mali is currently in a rut. No jobs, bad economy, bad education standards, improper medical treatment and a government that cannot solve the problems by the time they leave office. The key to some of this promised change is decentralization. The problem is that Mali is so vast and has so many regions that the central governments reach is ineffective. What needs to start happening is that power needs to be given back to mayors to properly manage their municipalities and then they need to be held accountable by the people of their municipality. If local government is successful in having a firm education system ( schools in the villages), better health care system and more jobs, then the successes will spread beyond municipality borders to the central government.

Speeches were given by Daouda ( Yeah’s brother) that had arranged the event in San, the mayor of San, Fomba ( Secretary General), Garba and Yeah. The message was urgent. This was not the time to sit by and hope someone else could save the country. Malians need to take a stronger stand in the coming elections. The constituents need to participate.

Daouda, Yeah's brother, introduces Yeah

Garba speaks to the people of San

The Griole praises PACP

After the event, another get together was arranged between party leaders in San and the head office leaders. The message was to encourage a common message as Unity is essential to success.

Local Party leaders from San confer with leaders from PACP

Success to PACP as it continues to take Mali like a tornado gaining momentum. May the dreams of many Malians who want sound, principled leadership with results be realized with PACP. Support us at www.samake2012.com so that more events like this can happen.

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