Goings on this fall

The whirlwind of activity surrounding the celebration of Mali's 50th anniversary and the visit by our friends from Segou has settled into a period of follow-up tasks and back to our core business for VFOM. Allan and Dana are working on new water projects by connecting Maggie L. Walker Governor's High School for International Studies with the secondary school system in Segou Mali to pair MWGHS with a local high school and work towards a partnership with a rural village to install a well. The Barbara Grey Travel Fund is slowly but steadily growing and will provides scholarship assistance for 3rd grade teachers traveling to Mali to support their efforts to teach The Empire of Mali as part of th Virginia's SOL curriculum for social studies and world history. Cultural exchange projects underway include a Segou based Peep This film camp, Sister City Internationl Youth Art Competition, Three Rivers Photography exhibit, a complementary exhibit at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center and English language immersion programs for Segou.

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Bamana symbols on bogolan

Segou’s musical triumph in Richmond

Bassekou Kouyaté and Ami Sacko feted by Richmonders at the Richmond Folk Festival Mali’s famous orchestra NGONI BA was the Toast of the Town at the Richmond Folk Festival. Led by ngoni magician Bassekou Kouyaté and his vocalist wife Ami Sacko, the orchestra of seven Malian musicians wowed the crowd, and ended the Festival at fever pitch as three or four thousand fans danced the evening away at the Dominian Dance Pavilion on Brown’s Island Sunday night, October 16th. Kouyaté is an ancient musical name in Mali. At Sunday’s banjo workshop with four of Virginia’s banjo masters, Bassekou explained how he had learned to play the ngoni from his father and grandfather, and how his ancestors were playing music and sang the sovereign’s praises seven hundred years ago at the court of the original Lion King, Sunjata Keita. The Lion King founded the Malian Empire in the year 1235, and his legend became famous through the songs of his griot Balafasé Kouyaté, ancestor of Bassekou the le...

VFOM member visits AUPAP sites

1st Adjoint to the Mayor M. NIANG, (Segou), Dace (SCI), Adjoint (Segou), Dana (VFOM), Mayor O. SIMAGA (Segou) Our good friend and executive committee member Dana Wiggins left on August 19 and returns September 14 from her turn as AUPAP project monitor and defacto Richmond city ambassador to our twin city, Segou. Notre bon ami et membre du comité exécutif Dana Wiggins quitté le 19 août et retourne Septembre 14 à partir de son tour que AUPAP projet de surveiller et de facto ambassadeur de ville de Richmond a notre ville jumelle, Ségou. The following photos were taken in July and August and demonstrate that construction has been moving "full speed ahead" since funding and the rainy season arrived almost simultaneously. The Ségou contractors have been diligent and in spite of one wall collapse, Dana and Dace (Sister Cities International) have been able to confirm that a September c...

Virginia Friends of Mali

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