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Dialakoroji seeks clean running water from Presidential candidate

What other way to start the weekend than with a rally? As Yeah was holding his meetings in Paris, Team Samake, headed by Secretary General Fomba, started off the weekend with a rally in Dialakoroji, Koulikoro, Mali. Yeah’s brother, Drissa Samake, who teaches Chemistry at the University, had arranged this meeting to introduce Yeah’s vision to the people of this region.

Kane kicked of the meeting by telling the 120 in attendance about Yeah’s background. The Secretary General Fomba spoke of Yeah’s achievements. Fomba emphasized the difference between Yeah and other candidates. He advised that other parties misuse their funds, and are looking only for power. The people need a leader who will not misuse the people’s money and use it only to increase the welfare of Malians. If the current issues of education and healthcare are resolved, he said only good can come for the future generations.

One of the requests made by the women in the village was for a garden. Fomba suggested that the women co-op should get together and get a microfinance loan.  Another of the requests of Dialakoroji was the need for a water system. The wife of the village leader put forth the concern that to get drinkable water, the villagers had to hike up a mountain every Sunday to get water for the week. The road is difficult and the path rocky for walking or even driving. By bringing a water source to the village, Dialakoroji could be made sustainable as they would not only be able to provide water for their needs but also be able to grow crops at a lower level for their own dietary needs as well as financial means.

At the end of the meeting the group went to see the water source in question. It is amazing the things we take for granted, clean drinking water, and here there are people who have to walk miles up a difficult mountain, just to be able to get drinking water.

After, the group played Yeah’s video that highlighted all that Samake2012 stood for and the change that he could bring if he was elected.

This was a great meeting and it showed the support that Yeah is building in the villages. Many of the candidates have not visited the villages to campaign like Yeah has. These villages are essential to winning the campaign as there are some essential issues that need to be addressed like education, healthcare, and electricity and clean running water. This campaign hopefully will be won on issues. That is the hope that the people will be driven to the polls to choose a leader that could bring change and not a leader that can pay his way into newspapers and into Koulouba, and then once he is there he forgets about the people who actually suffer on a daily basis.

Here’s to choosing a leader that will make the difference for present and future generations on April 29th. Support honest leadership at www.samake2012.com. Vive Mali!

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Posted by on March 13, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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Three cheers for PACP in Commune III(Trois)

The team returned from Koutiala, and after a brief rest, they departed for a rally in Commune III which is in Bamako. Yeah’s major support comes from the villages. Rural Mali forms a majority of the voting block. The newspaper L’Independant recently reported: “Yeah Samake is the candidate who goes to the small villages of Mali to live the life of the people. As the candidate of PACP, Yeah Samaké breaks the historical trend by campaigning in the villages. ” (  Boubacar PAITHAO, L’Indépendant du 28 février 2012; http://www.maliweb.net/news/politique/2012/02/28/article,51111.html)

It is important for PACP to make itself as well known in the city. The rally in Commune III was held to recognize Yeah’s candidature. This was a different rally of sorts in terms of the welcome given to Yeah. He was welcomed by 4 men wearing Samake2012 T-shirts and riding 4 horses. This was amazing to watch these horses herald in the PACP car. In addition to the horses there were 75 youth that honked their motorcycle horns to signal the arrival of Yeah. I kept expecting these horses to bolt, but the horses remained calm and seemed used to the ruckus that surrounded them. The people on the other hand were intrigued by the noise and came out of their houses to see who was passing. It was a welcome fit for a king and we were humbled by its grandiosity.

Horses herald PACP cars in to Commune III

Look at those motorcycles!!

As the car neared its destination, four army personnel escorted it in. PACP volunteers lined up as Yeah got out. This was a big event and played host to 300 people and 100 volunteers. In addition, the national TV was there to cover the event. There was local talent followed by Petit Ballo, the Samake2012 singer. Liz attempted to get the crowd involved in the dancing and soon there was a good-sized crowd dancing to good music. PACP member Kane, who had arranged this event, spoke very highly of Yeah and his achievements. Yeah then got up to speak. He spoke with a power and passion that beleaguered his convictions. As he spoke, his audience sat raptured and made very little sound. He spoke of his desire to return to Mali to help his people and encouraged the people to vote for a leader that would truly serve his country. As Yeah was leaving, ORTM ushered him for a final interview.

The support is growing in Bamako. Commune III is an important section of Bamako. The support amazes us. The conviction of people in what we stand for grows. It isn’t ok for a child to not get a good education. It is not ok, for the healthcare system to be so inadequate that infant mortality sits at 111/1000 deaths and the average age is 52 years. We have been given much and to who much is given much is expected. We hope that we can be the light and solution that Mali needs. Mali needs a leader  that will be willing and able to resolve the issues ravaging its potential.

Please help us welcome a new day in Mali. We can’t do it without you. Its time to affect the future of a nation. It’s time to put corrupt leaders out of business. Are you up to the challenge? Show your support @ http://www.samake2012.com.

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Posted by on March 5, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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Diorila welcomes back a local favorite

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

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

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

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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PACP Leadership Conference: une réussite totale( A total success)

PACP held its first major leadership conference February 4th 2012. The aim of the conference was to educate community leaders in the communes of Bamako about the potential of Yeah Samake as the future President of Mali. About 20 journalists and the major TV network ORTM covered this event.

At 10am, Yeah, I and the rest of PACP leadership walked into an auditorium housing about 200 people. This was a little different from the dancing and music that usually greets us at the rallies. The hushed silence erupted into clapping as we walked down the aisle to the stage. The room felt like it had a heavy air of skepticism. Many of these community leaders are educated and it was essential that this town hall style meeting be held to get them on board.

The meeting started with a 5 minute video about Yeah’s achievements in Mali to date. It showed the schools that were built, water pumps installed, children that came to the US and the computers that were donated. It showed the medical teams that came every year to treat people from as far as Mopti and Sikasso. The highlight of the video was the solar panel installation in Ouelessebougou. I say this was the highlight because it was during his welcome speech at this function that Yeah challenged the President to allow decentralization to happen more completely. Yeah’s central policy is decentralization of the central government’s power so that the local government can function effectively and address corruption more effectively. When the people can hold their government accountable, the government will be more effective and be less prone to corrupt leaders. In a big country like Mali, this is more important than ever. The video also showed the President’s speech at this event in which he is almost endorsing Yeah by saying he wished there were more Malians that gave back to their people like Yeah did. The video was punctuated by clapping but the end gave way to a standing ovation.

When the video ended, we took the stage again. The difference between Yeah and the other candidates is that Yeah has a story to tell. His humble beginnings resound clearly with other Malians that share it. However his aspirations and his education are a lesson to many that if you push hard enough, even the poorest person will prevail. He is also the statement of the end product of education that shows Malians what one can become with a good, sound education. Yeah spoke very eloquently in French to his audience. He spoke of his life early on, his father who was the visionary and his mother who was the silent supporter. Yeah’s mother was an amazing woman, from what I have heard. Her silent agony as her children suffered was evident in her actions. During the days when the family would usually go hungry, Yeah’s mother would also go to the families in the neighbor collecting the chaff of the millet. She would bring this back, salt it and give it to her kids so that they would have something in their stomachs as they headed to school. In my opinion, she was as much a visionary and supporter as Tiecourafing Samaké. My daughter Carmen carries her name Sanamba as her middle name and I hope that Sanamba’s strength and spirit will guide her through life. Yeah spoke also of how he had the opportunity to gain an education and how he came back with the Mali Rising Foundation through generous donors to give the gift of education to villages that otherwise would have seen decades more of illiteracy. He introduced his brother Drissa, who now has a PhD and his brother Daouda who has a Bachelors as products of the same success story. When he was done, he opened the forum to questions.

The questions came in huge numbers and addressed everything from Yeah’s plans for education, the issues in the North of Mali and electricity. This part of the forum was in a mixture of Bambara and French. Yeah advised that many of the issues in Mali today are based on a lack of education and employment opportunities. He spoke about the issues in the North highlighting that it was not a Northern problem but a Malian problem. He spoke of how if the ways existed for people to make money through honest work, there would be no need to join the terrorists in the North. He advised that Malians should support the army to fight the problem in the North instead of just saying it was the North’s problem to fight it. The army needs to secure the borders so militants cannot cross with arms. Currently, there is fighting in the North region and strikes in the south as people protest the government’s lack of response to the fighting as well as the government sending few soldiers with limited arms to fight them. On the issue of electricity, Yeah used Ouelessebougou as a prime example of affordable energy. The solar panels in Ouelessebougou currently provide electricity to the residents. If elected, many more installations of this kind would go up to create clean, affordable energy. Yeah during the Q&A round also introduced my background. He said he believed in Mali so much and that I had the same convictions. He asked why else would I uproot my family from the comfortable, opportunity filled life of the US to come to Mali. Why else would I enroll my children in the Malian education system? He spoke of my faith and my hope for Mali under a strong leader. Another question raised was about women and opportunities for them. Yeah spoke about how the woman is an essential part of society and the educational opportunities need to be given to them as well so that they may become equal partners in the workforce. Yet another question focused on corruption and how Yeah would combat it. Yeah used his term in Ouelessebougou as a prime example of combating corruption. When he became mayor in 2009, people refused to pay taxes because the taxes were going into the mayor’s pocket. By introducing an open line of communication and accountability, Yeah was able to ensure that the taxes were collected and people shown where their tax money went. Today Ouelessebougou boasts a 68% tax collection rate. When Yeah first became mayor, all the salaries were months behind. Yeah paid all the salaries and since he has been in office, the salary is paid without fail on the 25th of every month. This would not be possible if corruption continued to seize the funds that people were paying in tax money. The questions went on and on. Even as we approached the final minutes when we had to end, people still wanted continue.

This was an excellent meeting and more town hall meetings of this kind are planned in other electoral districts. The people need to hear Yeah’s message. When we left that room, even the biggest skeptics became supporters. No one can deny Yeah’s amazing story or what he has done for his people. There is not one candidate that has given back to the Malian people like Yeah has. There is not one candidate that has the background that Yeah has which allows him to understand his people’s current suffering.

Yeah Samake is the candidate if Mali wants change. He is the candidate if Mali desires to get out of the hole 52 years of corrupt, bad leadership has thrown it into. He is the candidate of hope for a better education system that ensures Malian graduates can compete against foreign graduates. He is the candidate if Malians want a role model that can show what honest, open leadership is. He is the candidate who can bring Mali as an equal to discussions at the UN and African summits instead of the country asking for handouts. Mali is not a poor country. The actions of its leaders have made it poor. The time has come for Mali to raise itself out of the misery its former leaders have condemned it to. Yeah is the candidate that can reform Mali and make it a symbol of opportunity and change. The time is now. If you can help, the time has come to help. The elections are 3 months away. Support us at Samake2012.com. We need all the help we can to help Mali become the country where opportunities are in abundance and dreams become a reality. Vive PACP! Vive Yeah Samake! But most of all Vive Mali! May the hopes and dreams of all Malians be answered with Yeah Samake as President.

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IN THE NEWS

Journal 22Septembre: Contre le banditisme armé au Nord: Yeah Samaké propose un verrouillage de nos frontières

http://www.maliweb.net/2012/02/09/contre-le-banditisme-arme-au-nord-yeah-samake-propose-un-verrouillage-de-nos-frontieres/

 
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Posted by on February 5, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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PACP meetings in Dialakoroba and Badalabougou

As Yeah was the in the Dominican Republic, the PACP team headed by Fomba, Secretary General headed towards Dialakoroba around 10 am. Their purpose was to inaugurate the setup of the PACP committee there. Dialakoroba is situated halfway between Ouelessebougou and Bamako. The meeting was excellent!

The start of the meeting was highlighted by a momentary pause in honor of Yeah’s brother Moussa Samake that had passed away. After this, Fomba greeted the supporters. He spoke of PACP and why the party wanted the assistance of Dialakoroba. About 100 community leaders were present. Fomba focused on the youth of Dialakoroba. The youth have in a strong statement of support abandoned their own party PDES to join PACP. PDES is the party that supported the current President Amadou Toumani Toure. So this move is indeed symbolic and important.

Then Kane, another party member, showed the new logo of PACP and explained what it stood for so that people could easily recognize it at the polling stations. In Mali, with the illiteracy rate so high, it is essential for people to see the logo so that they can recognize it easily. The new logo is of a sunrise and is symbolic in its representation of a new day in Mali (Un Nouveau Jour Pour Mali).

Other party members spoke of strategy that the new committee could use to increase reach into the surrounding communities. There was also a representative that came from the nearby village of Sanakoroba where a PACP committee already exists. He spoke very kindly of PACP and its possible impact if Yeah is elected. In addition, Kalise, Karim and Solo, those who know Yeah best as he was growing up, spoke of Yeah’s life and his achievements.

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This was the first event that our new American interns got to see. There was dancing and celebration in honor of the new committee being set up. All I can say is our new interns can indeed shake a leg. Watch the second video to see them in action. 🙂

 

The next meeting in the afternoon was held in Badalabougou in midtown Bamako. Here about 60 community leaders over the handicap society gathered to hear PACP speak. Life in Mali is tough already for those who can barely find work and provide for their families. Imagine how much harder it is for people that are handicapped and cannot contribute to the income of their families. When you drive the dangerous streets of Bamako, the view of handicapped individuals led by their relatives begging from car to car is hard to bear. In America, it is amazing how we care for our handicapped. We have facilities and groups that provide in majority for their needs so that their suffering and shame is lessened. It will be essential for the next President to institute a facility and programs that answer to the needs of these individuals. There were many questions of what these programs would be and Fomba promised that these questions would be presented to Yeah so that he could address them with the importance they deserved.

Badalabougou: Leaders of the Handicap Society


The day of meetings was successful. It is meetings like these that will get the vote in. The people of Mali need a leader that can lead them out of the lifestyles that they are resigned to and show them a lifestyle they deserve and should be living 52 years after independence. There will be many more meetings like these accompanied by music, dancing and the hope of a brighter future under Yeah Samake.

 
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Posted by on February 2, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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Keleya and surrounding 22 villages welcome PACP

As midday approached, two 4X4s carrying members of PACP came to a stop in the village of Keleya. They were greeted with much singing, dancing and cheering from a crowd of 300 people who had come to meet a Presidential candidate from their Southern region.  Represented were 22 villages that had in turn sent their own community leaders.

Yeah and PACP were greeted by a young girl with kola nuts. Kola nuts are an essential symbol in Malian social life and are given as a sign of respect to visitors. There were a number of speakers. The message however had the same undertones. They all expressed how they were confident that Yeah Samake and PACP could be the change Mali needed. They expressed eloquently how in their eyes they saw Keleya like a mother and Djitimou region (which Ouelessebougou is a part of) as the father who has a child named Yeah Samake. The speakers said that this is why the two areas must work together to elect Yeah as they and the whole country will mutually benefit from it. Yeah spoke at this event. He spoke of the need to change the direction of Mali. Also the community had asked for specific help with electricity at the youth center. Yeah advised that the stakes are higher than just electricity for one municipality. With sound leadership every corner of the country would have access to basic needs like electricity. Yeah also strongly highlighted his intentions to increase accessibility to basic resources like energy and water throughout the country.

In attendance was the Mayor of Keleya’s representative. Also it is very important to have the blessing of the Chief of the village. Yeah visited with dugutigi Bagayoko and his councilors at his home. Yeah was able to share with him what PACP stood for and what Yeah was trying to accomplish for Mali. He made a solemn promise to the chief of the village by giving him a Samake 2012 button and told him of his plans to unify the country and bring prosperity. He also advised that when Yeah is elected if at any time the Chief of village feels like this promise is not being kept then he has the ability to take the button to the Presidential palace in Koulouba and remind Yeah of the promise.

This was an excellent rally. The people were very committed to seeing Yeah in office, having heard about his accomplishments as Mayor. There will be many more rallies of this kind.

The symbol of a promise

As the first rally was happening in Keleya, simultaneously, another group of PACP members headed by Fomba and Sibiri Mariko were officiating a soccer final in Yelekebougou. PACP was the official sponsor of this game. People from the surrounding 17 villages came to watch this match and also hear about what PACP values were. Sibiri spoke to the crowd and got them pumped up. The representative from the village announced to the 300+ people in attendance that they had approached many parties to help them stage this tournament but only PACP had responded. They promised that they would spread the word about PACP because Yeah had kept his word sponsoring a soccer game for the youth to bring them together. The chief of the village, a representative of the Mayor and the pastor was in attendance as well. This was a fantastic game and rally all in one.

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Posted by on January 15, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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PRI’s The World Interview with Yeah

Anchor Marco Werman from BBCs PRI The World speaks with Yeah about his plans for Mali. Click the picture or the link below to listen to the interview. Please share it with everyone you know.

http://www.theworld.org/2012/01/mormon-mali-yeah-samake/

 
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Posted by on January 7, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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