Accomplishments

MALI WITH YEAH SAMAKE AT THE HELM

Service to his people is something that runs in Yeah’s blood and comes as naturally to him as breathing. Other achievements that showcase Yeah’s humanitarian and political work are:

As Ambassador of Mali to India and 9 other Asian countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, and Thailand), in two and a half years, Yeah has been able to lead a number of successful efforts to build stronger relationships between Mali and the countries he covers, benefiting Malians living at home and abroad. These efforts include:

• Hosting President H.E Ibrahim Boubacar Keita at the Africa India Summit in 2015
• Hosting the first high level visit by the Indian government to Mali by initiating the visit in 2016 of H.E Hamid Ansari, the Vice President of India and also the visit in 2017 of the Indian Minister of External Affairs H.E Mobashar Jawad Akbar;
• Securing a commitment from India to provide resources to help Mali fight terrorism;
• Finalizing an agreement for a $100 million line of credit to construct electrical transmission lines from Sikasso to Bamako, successfully concluding negotiations that had been stalled since 2012;
• Building partnerships with textile organizations to help Mali improve processing and use of cotton—Mali’s main agricultural product and one of the country’s leading exports;
• Obtaining scholarships for Malian military members to train in Bangladesh;
• Obtaining multiple scholarships for Malian students to study in Indian universities;
• Safeguarding Mali’s heritage by acquiring a $500,000 donation from India to restore the ancient Timbuktu manuscripts damaged by jihadists in 2013;
• Garnering a commitment from the Indian government to build an English language center in Bamako;
• Forging an agreement allowing Malian citizens to travel to Indonesia without needing to obtain a visa; and
• Initiating historic visits of high-level Indian officials to Mali, building relationships that will result in improved relationships and cooperation in the future.

As Mayor of Ouelessebougou, in the four years since he took office, Yeah has initiated the following projects and as mayor has been the prince of getting Malians access to “first-time” necessities:

• Raised tax payment rate from 10% to 92% making it possible to pay teachers, equip schools and pay employees that had gone without pay for 6 months before Yeah took office;
• Made Ouelessebougou one of the top 5 communes in terms of economic development, transparency, and management. The year before it was in the bottom 5;
• A new hospital that will house a maternity center, pharmacy, eye center and the biggest one in the entire region. Next biggest hospital is in Bamako, an hour’s drive away.
• Textbooks for schools in the Ouelessebougou region. This usually should be covered by central government but has not been due to funds availability
• New water pumps all through Ouelessebougou bringing  clean running water to the region for the first time
• New high school in Ouelessebougou, the first in the region.
• Partnering American doctors with Malian doctors to increase a sharing of best practices.
• New battery recycling plant

Yeah has formed his own party. The name of the party is  PARTI POUR L’ACTION CIVIQUE ET PATRIOTIQUE( Party for Civic and Patriotic Action)

Since 2013, As field consultant of Empower Mali, a Utah based non profit, Yeah has worked with his American partners to secure these for the Malian people:

• 6 fully equipped middle schools.
• Tablet program for middle school students
• After school program for 16 schools in Bamako
• Governance Summit for Local Leaders in Mali to come observe best practices in Utah, NY and Boston.
• School kits/hygiene kits
• Three tractors to date as part of a food security initiative in Ouelessebougou and San.
• two electricity generating playgrounds
• Textbooks for Malian middle schools

Find out more about Empower Mali at www.empowermali.org

As director of Mali Rising, till 2012 Yeah has worked with his American partners to secure these for the Malian people:

• 17 schools to date.
• School equipment for 15 schools: desks, chairs, office supplies;
• Computers/Laptops donated to schools and the Mali Ministry of Education;
• Solar panels for the schools in villages where electricity is not readily available;
• Textbooks: something new in Mali as usually the teacher has the only textbook;
• School kits/hygiene kits for the past 6 years from different Boy Scout projects;
• Medical equipment for hospitals in Ouelessebougou and dentist chair to clinic in Bamako.
• To date, about 6 medical missions and 3 dentist missions serving around 4000+ Malian men, women and children;