Projects developed in Diema with Pam Young's Village Ventures

Arriviamo in Mali il 30 dicembre e sostiamo nella città di Diema, nel nord del paese vicino al confine mauritano. A Diema incontriamo Pam, signora inglese impegnata da oltre 15 anni nella riduzione della povertà e in progetti di sviluppo alquanto innovativi per il luogo. Qui insieme a lei imbianchiamo la maternità dell'ospedale (che giace in uno stato di noncuranza totale...nonostante gli ingenti finanziamenti del governo...), risistemiamo un' automobile di VillageVentures (cosi è chiamata l'associazione gestita da Pam insieme a dei volonterosi ed onesti maliani), la aiutiamo nella manutenzione del suo centro, costruiamo un campo da calcio, partecipiamo ad un' azione di pulizia della piazza centrale del marchè con il fine di portare all'attenzione di abitanti e autorità locali il problema dell'immondizia, problema che a Diema è importante risolvere al più presto (come potrete vedere dal nostro servizio fotografico).

Organizziamo, inoltre, un torneo di calcio per inaugurare il nuovo campetto, torneo accompagnato da un entusiasmo totale da parte di tutti i bambini.

We arrived at Diema at New Years Eve 2010 and were looking for a place to stay.

Then, by ironic or destiny we meet a very resourceful lady called Pam Young and we stayed for much more than a night, developing a whole series of small but significant actions, where Pam lives and gives all she has got to the community

Visiting neglected children sometimes found abandoned by their families in dumpsters and painting the hospital's wall's

This afternoon we built, a very rudimentary but functional, football field for the kids in the area and we organized a little tournament that was very amusing and successful. 

This is the view of the center of Diema, behind the biggest market place, since there is no trash collecting system, people just accumulate random garbage in piles and, occasionally, burn it on the spot. Major health hazard.

Instigated by Pam (that arranged for the clothes, tools and donkey cars) we spent the whole morning trying to clean but the task was almost impossible. Nevertheless we were all immediately received by the mayor, that was between embarrassed and grateful for our task, and we changed some positive views for a possible garbage disposal mechanism to eradicate the problem.

Due to this effort we wrote a project, with a budget, for 2 men and 2 donkey cars to have a job for a year in order to clean the city center and educate people in leaving their trash elsewhere. The same project has already been approved (4000 euros per year) and the financing was found by the Bambini Nel Deserto NGO, here you can find the written details:
http://www.bambinineldeserto.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67&Itemid=68&mod=pro&pid=314&tipo=S&nazione_id=0&tabix=0&dove=0

This child represents a lot of angst and so much more hope. With the quantity of children in Africa and all the health and economical problems they daily face, it makes no sense to no one to feed and raise an abandoned child. They are normally left to die. Pam made it her quest that this would not happen to this one and has been persuading a family to watch over her and take care of her, at least for the first years of her life, since she is alone, underfeed and weak. She is looking much better ever since but still... the struggle is never over!