Dear friends and supporters,
Having spent the past 12 years supporting villagers around DIEMA and developing skills of our small group of volunteers there.
I feel I can now leave them for longer periods of time without the needs for me to be there supervising them.As I have recently acquired a permanent base/home in UK, this will enable me to spend more time fundraising with in europe giving talks and presentations. Its important that my visits to Mali continue, but less frequently, allowing growth of the volunteers skills in creating programmes which assist in the alleviation of poverty in the area.
I feel I can now leave them for longer periods of time without the needs for me to be there supervising them.As I have recently acquired a permanent base/home in UK, this will enable me to spend more time fundraising with in europe giving talks and presentations. Its important that my visits to Mali continue, but less frequently, allowing growth of the volunteers skills in creating programmes which assist in the alleviation of poverty in the area.
Obviously I will continue to monitor and suport my Mali team and plan to co-incide my visits with those who wish to volunteer their skills supporting our programme insitu. Helping people to help themselves is still my main objective hence”volunteers are encouraged to pass on their skills to enable local tribesmen and women become more self sufficient and gain pride in their own achievements.
Basic fund raising in the past has been the result of much of my own efforts, including, car boots sales, table top sales, sponsored walks, calendar sales,auctions etc. Monies raised have helped costs of transportation, as well as materials necessary for our much needed projects, as you know cars only go when fully loaded, ensuring costs are well covered. It’s thanks to low cost flights that I have been able to travel and create awareness of the plight the people in our area suffer via talks videos and presentations.
This is becoming considerably more expensive to fund myself. As you will also know at least 95% of all fund raising efforts have benefited the programme with the remainder helping cover costs of transportation costs.With the increasing costs of transportation to Mali, I find it necessary to now ask for a contribution/donation for presentation visits, which I am ready and willing to do anywhere in europe, which will go towards covering low cost flights and accommodation.
I have only been able to do this work due to your great support, and hope you can continue to help us develop the skills required to assist in the poverty alleviation programme in rural areas of West Africa.
Village Ventures Africa 
Please refresh your readers on the best way to give! Does Western Union still work under current conditions in Mali?
By: Myke on September 24, 2012
at 10:46 pm
hi myke
good to hear from you, we do have villageventures@gmail.com paypal account, and yes Western Union still functions there also.Hope this helps; hope you are well its been a long time since we saw you here..hope you can coma again soon
pam
By: pam on September 29, 2012
at 4:09 pm
Just have Pam young a lift to Proserpine, north Queensland , Australia. She loved the country side.
By: Andrew dingo beach on June 23, 2014
at 8:13 am