Virginia Friends of Mali

The President of Mali, Mr Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA (IBK) , has invited the former Minister of Defense (and previously Minister of Territorial Administration - and before that Minister for the Environment, Water and Sanitation) Mr Abdoulaye Idrissa MAIGA to become Prime Minister, during the 2013 presidential election he was IBK’s campaign director. Our friend Mr Abdoulaye DIOP –remains in position as Ministre des Affaires étrangères et de la Coopération Internationale and we congratulate him both on his longevity as No 4 in the gouvernmental hierarchy; and on the excellent job he has done in representing Mali to the international community. Mr DIOP was the former Ambassador of Mali in Washington, who initiated the SISTER CITY relationship between Richmond, Virginia and his hometown SEGOU, the second city of Mali. The most recent Malian Ambassador in Washington D.C., Mr Tiéna Coulibaly, becomes Minister of Defense and we congratulate him on this important promotion. In his absence, the Ac...

Here are two new books that have been the result of our sister city relationship with Segou and ongoing work in Mali: Sunjata: Children of the Empire of Mali ~ Then & Now (published on Kindle) by Robin Poulton / Macky Tall - this book is intended for teachers and anyone with an interest in Malian history, life and culture as experienced by children of the region over several centuries. The Most Vulnerable: Women, HIV and Islam in Mali by Christopher A. Brooks with translations by Salim Coumare (city councilor of Segou), based on research conducted in 2013 and provides a thoughtful, concise view of the experience and handling of HIV as a public health priority for Mali's women.

On March 16, 2017, almost a year after the funding was secured,  the shipping container filled with medical supplies and equipment destined for our sister city's main Hopital Niankorofomba and Community Health Care Clinic in the Darasallam neighborhood arrived! City officials hosted a grand ceremony to celebrate the $450,000+ supplies donated through Project CURE, a Denver, Colorado USA-based non profit. Led by Segou's newly elected Mayor Nouhoum Diarra, the ceremony included representatives from the city's Sister City Committee and regional officials. You can learn more about the city's political and economic development goals and structures by visiting CPEL Segou .  Segou Sister City Committee, former city councilor Sissoko, Mayor Nouhoum Diarra, and Kalifa Toure Segou Mayor Diarra and hospital director Dr. Sanogo accept first box off-loaded from container. Boxes of supplies VFOM Bamako representative Kalifa Toure conveys message on behalf of...