It's October 16th. A little bit of sad news - I called Amou a couple weeks to see how the roof was, assuming work was finished - and she told me the sad news: her husband Ibrahim (pictured) died about 3 weeks ago. He was a great guy...and lived to ripe old age and left many grandkids, so we all must be thankful. Amou had to spend $1200 of the roof money on his funeral expenses, entertaining guests, and travel expenses for the whole family to come back. So although the roof has been put on and the doors and windows and screen bought, the latter haven't gone on yet. I think Amou didn't want to tell me. It's one of those things. Events of life - and death - surprise us. And THANK ALLAH Amou had the money to properly put Ibrahim to rest, and I thank you all for giving her that gift - it means just as much in Mali as it does here.
So as I continue editing "Gone To Mali" from Portland, Oregon, I'm launching another effort to raise the remaining $1200. Please help if you can - I am so grateful already for all that's been raised, and am sorry to be the bearer of bad news. HUGE THANKS in advance for all you've done so far, and here's to helping Amou and her whole family once again. Allah ka bon: God is great!
It's July 5th. GREAT NEWS! I called my sister Bahini (pictured) on her cell phone on Monday (ah, modern marvels). They received the MoneyGram that Scott Lacy of African Sky sent to Amou in Niono (www.africansky.org - the amazing non-profit that Scott founded to benefit Mali, and which I partnered with for this effort), and she got the money with no hassles! Roof work has begun! The Peace Corps Volunteer in Niono is on vacation until July 23rd, but she promises she will take pics of the new roof, and the ameliorated latrine, and the screens on the doors and windows (which the extra $525 we raised will buy), when she returns. Stay tuned. And HUGE thanks to all donors and friends. If you're heading to Mali, please let me know so you can see the house in person!
My adopted Malian host mother from my Peace Corps years, Amou Guindo, just sent me a message via the current Peace Corps Volunteer serving in my former West African town, Niono, where Amou lives.
Amou asked if I could send her $2000 to put a tole metal roof on a house she built last year. The roof collapsed in this past rainy season (the less expensive roofs in Mali are made of sticks and mud), and although Amou's own house has a tole roof she needs this new one to house her grandchildren, who have recently come to live with her (their parents, my brother Ousmane and sister Tanti, are working for the Malian Army and at the university in Segou).
I wonder if you can help. I'm trying to find 20 people to donate $100 for Amou's New Roof. Time's a bit of an issue, as the rainy season starts in early June, and after that, les deluges. Mali gets very hard rains that demolish the mud bricks, so the roof needs to go on before the rains start. The money raised will go to a charity that will implement the project through a colleague of mine from the Peace Corps who is on the ground in Mali.
The pictures attached are of me with Amou and some of the Malian family. Amou is wearing the red head scarf. The grandkids are Iya, Breman, Ousmane Jr., Mama, Oumou (there are three others), and daughter Bahini (also in red) and daughter-in-law Salimatou.