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MALI

French Institute of Bamako / October 2016

Djiguene & Goor Project

In collaboration with several cultural organizations in West Africa, I paid tribute to six women and six men through the creation of permanent murals. I organized an artistic tour that ran from September 8 to November 10, 2016. This project was dedicated to Africans both women and men who inspire and encourage the younger generation. With the Djiguene & Goor project, I wanted to showcase the faces of individuals who have made positive contributions to society. In each city, one woman and one man were honored. The individuals selected were environmentalists and people working with determination and selflessness to improve living conditions or foster their country's development.

Kadia Démé – Director of the Orphanage

We all have a hero in our neighborhood—a man or woman we respect and admire for their wisdom and actions. Kadia Démé is one of these admirable people. She runs both a restaurant and an association dedicated to helping children and people with disabilities. Here is a portrait of an exceptional woman. On the Right Bank, in the Badalabougou district, lies a typical laterite road—though this one is particularly teeming with children. This is where Kadia settled in 2002. Her restaurant faces the premises of the Association for the Support of the Disabled and Underprivileged Children (ASHED), which she founded. The two go hand in hand: the restaurant helps fund the orphanage’s operations. It is a bold challenge that Kadia has met with flying colors. Before the recent crisis, the restaurant’s business allowed both entities to be financially self-sufficient. In some months, Kadia even managed to set a little money aside. Her clientele is primarily Malian, consisting of regulars who come for their lunch break at "Chez Kadia" or stop by to pick up a takeaway rice dish.

Oumar Diabaté – Sahelian Center for Training and Research in Agroecology

Oumar Diabaté is an environmentalist and Malian veterinarian turned farmer, renowned for his organic produce. Pesticide-free fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants—grown in abundance on a plot of land initially ill-suited for farming—represent Oumar Diabaté’s successful achievement. A lush green oasis set against a backdrop of ochre earth, Diabaté’s "agroecological farm" is located in Satinébougou, a village of four hundred inhabitants about thirty kilometers from Bamako. Since 2005, tomatoes, squash, lettuce, and beets—as well as fruit trees—have been growing on nearly two hectares of land. An area is set aside for dairy cows, chickens, and crossbred sheep. Revitalizing soil "that was very poor"—where "not even grass would grow"—was no easy task, nor was convincing local farmers of the project's value, says Diabaté, a tall man with a boxer's physique, speaking to AFP.

Bamako / march 2016

Continuing my commitment to exchange and sharing, I created a piece of art free of charge at Auberge Djamila, where I was staying. This mural depicts a very elegant gentleman, offering an artistic contribution to the hostel's atmosphere and leaving a trace of my visit.