Virginia Friends of Mali

Saturday, March 3 from 3:30-5pm... Robin Edward Poulton (Macky TALL) and Virginia Vassar (Aissata Daou)  will speak in costume, with pictures and fun toys from Segou, Richmond's sister city in Mali where the real LION KING came from ! Bring the kids, visit the library, come and hear great music from Mali and find out about Virginia's African Heritage. Dr Poulton came back from Mali and Segou just last week Virginia spent a year in a Malian High School before working in Senegal, on the coast of what used to be the Mali Empire - founded by the original Lion King in 1235 and the subject of history teaching for all 6th grade, 4th grade and 3rd grade students in the Virginia school system. Learn while you have fun! See you there ! Richmond Public Library - Main Branch 101 East Franklin Street Richmond, Virginia   23219 www.richmondpubliclibrary.org

Virginia Friends of Mali is on     f  ACEBOOK :  http://www. facebook.com/pages/Virginia- Friends-of-Mali/ 229256047136299  - Visit, LIKE us, and post news or update your status with info that's good to share with VFOM. Our website is nearly done - for a sneak peek visit  www.vafriendsofmali.org/wp  - it's lovely. VFOM's first book,  Djita - A Malian girl from Virginia / Une fille malienne de la Virginie , is not only published, but has a new flier (attached) with good information for teachers, students, storytellers and friends. Check it out, share it and get your copy today. The introductory sale price is still available at Authorhouse - click the cover image link in the right hand menu of this page. At least 8 VFOM officials and friends will converge on the 2012 Festival On The Niger, 15-19 February, in Segou. What a great event this will be. VCU professor of psychology and chair of the Africana Studies department, Shawn U...

Thank you to everyone who came out to our Open House & Welcome Day in spite of the crazy storm - nearly 30 of you beat the weather and were hunkered in William Byrd's lovely Grace Arents Library to share Chef MaMusu 's Ginger-Bissap Tea, Goree African Restaurant 's Peanut Sauce, good Malian music. Showing off Mali is our favorite way to introduce Richmonders to our sister city, Segou, and to Africa, in general. Our new bilingual SOL-ready storybook, Djita, a Malian Girl from Virgina , was available for sale, autographed by the author, VFOM founder Robin Edward Poulton.  This event was an introduction to Virginia Friends of Mali so you can find out who we are, what we do, what we'd like to do and how you can be a part! If you missed it, we will do it again in March 2012, but you can always just email and one of our enthusiastic members will be right back in touch.  Happy Holidays to One and All!