Support Mali's Vulnerable Children

Things have been extremely busy in Mali this quarter. Our CEO is visiting Bamako and has rolled out a robust awareness campaign to reach more companies and individuals in the country. The hard work of ensuring the children are well rounded and Zorokoro building continues on track has challenges and is dependent upon the support of all of our constituents. Our CEO has discussed these challenges with the country’s First Lady during a meeting conducted on 11 August during the CEO’s visit to Mali. A show about ACFA was recorded in Mali on 15 August and will soon air on Mali National TV. Several authorities, such as ministers as well as individual corporate owners, have voiced the country’s support. Additionally, as part of the campaign of awareness, a conference is scheduled for the week of 31 August.

In sports, though three of the ACFA children - Adama, Lacine and Assana - are in the minors’ group in Basketball, they were selected to play at the youth level and have won their first game in the Bamako Basketball Championship. In other sports, the children continue to excel, achieving new belts in taekwondo and reaching new milestones in their basketball courses. We expanded the basketball program to include a mentoring aspect, during which our children had the opportunity to actively participate in the Coupe Africaine for basketball. They attended Mali’s game against Guinea and had the chance to interact with international professional athletes. These extracurricular activities have proven invaluable in ensuring the children are afforded a well-rounded upbringing.

Three of our children, Assana, Awa and Korotoumou, were selected by their respective schools and participated in the summer program iNERDE at the Cite de Enfants (a children support governmental organization in Mali). The project introduced qualified students to science and technology at 4^th grade level. The rest of the children are continuing their vocational training in tailoring, wood working, and motorbike repair.

 The children received their semiannual health check. During this process, they all received the necessary vaccinations. We have continued to remain vigilant in adhering to the highest standards of hygiene and healthcare, given the regional outbreak of Ebola.

In June, we began preparing for the planting season, plowing the farm and sowing seeds for corn and other crops. We continue to benefit from our partnership with the Malian government and private sector partners in seed and organic fertilizer support.

It is an exciting time for me to visit the operations in Mali: the children of ACFA-Mali and the Zorokoro Project have grown in so many ways! After spending the last 3 weeks in Bamako visiting our operations sites, I am incredibly proud of the improvement in the children’s lives and the progress made at Zorokoro. I am looking forward to the new relationships coming to fruition and working together with so many other organizations on the ground in Bamako. Thank you for your continued support as we face future challenges. Together, we have made a huge difference, and I am looking forward to facing the challenges ahead with your support, I know that we can do this. Thank you for your continued support.  

Links:

• Our website

In Mali, many families live in very poor and difficult situations. This condition leads to children being raised in less than minimum required conditions for their physical and mental development. Some children are left on the streets; others are exploited as beggars to bring money back to the master or extended family members who are supposed to take care of them. This is why ACFA’s role in Mali is extremely important.
ACFA takes children off the streets and puts them in a safe and loving environment, affording them all the tools necessary for a successful future. We continue delivering our programs to the children as they strive every day. Currently, we take care of twelve children right now, but our vision is to be able to take care of 100 vulnerable children in Mali.
In Mali:
1. To commemorate National Nutrition month in March, ACFA was featured on a well-known Malian TV channel as our staff demonstrated our nutritional program and its benefits to the children. We will be sending this video to you in the near future when received from Mali.
2. The children visited the national park, the national museum, and the zoo: these visits are educational both academically and culturally.
3. We have taken appropriate measures to meet the challenges of the hottest season in Mali, with additional ventilators and other equipment purchased.
4. Academically, the children have been preparing for and are now ready for their end of year final exams scheduled for June.
5. The basketball children won their category’s championship in Badalabougou on 26 April 2015.
6. The taekwondo children won their semi-final competition in Baco-Djocoroni qualifying them for the final competition to be scheduled in the near future.
7. In Zorokoro, the complex we are building to house more children, we have completed the temporary kitchen and recreation center for the children. We are currently working on a mini-cage to enclose the gas containers, and the solar panels for the dorm.

In the U.S.:
1. Our 2014 annual report has been published and can be found at: http://www.acfacorp.org/en/annual-reports/english-categories/about-us/annual-reports/annual-reports.
2. Our next fundraiser is scheduled for 30 June from 6 pm – 9pm in Washington DC at Café Citron, 1343 Connecticut Ave., NW, conveniently located near Dupont Circle. Please join us to learn more about ACFA and hear a fresh update from a board member returning from Bamako. Please RSVP to Kadiatou@acfacorp.org.
Thank you for your continued support. Please visit http://www.acfacorp.org/en/donate-page-xmfrom-the-heartxm/english-categories/donation/donations to support ACFA.

Links:

• Our web site