Mali: report 2013

January 2013 : After many long months of intense concern the towns in the north of the country are finally liberated.  This comes as an extreme relief to the local population who have been living in hell since the armed invasion by extremists in March 2012.  The Franco-Malian army are bombarding the djihadists many of whom have retreated to the mountainous region of Ifoghas.  Others have attempted to merge with the local population to organise suicide attacks,  plant mines and commit other outrages.

The food situation is catastrophic,  the borders are closed and lorries can no longer circulate freely.  Food stocks are virtually non existant.  In Bamako Sophie has had to struggle to find milk for the infants.  She has sifted through all the grocery shops to find the supplies that she needs.  Thanks to her tenacity she has managed to find supplies and send them to Gao so the children are all well fed.

February 2013 :  Miraculously our Reception Centre has been spared the worst effects of the bombardments.  Despite this all our material has been looted,  doors have been ripped off their hinges and destroyed, passages have been blocked up and the floors are badly damaged.

Thankfully the children are all doing well.  Despite an increase in the reported cases of malaria, none of our children are affected.  The few infants who have contracted colds have quickly recovered.  Mariam, Oura and Badra have taken very good care of our young charges.

> back

> next

Our triplets: Zeinabou, Salamata, Oumar