<div><em>We need your help to fund the building of a kindergarten in Kabala, a village in my home country, Mali. The kindergarten will empower the local community and help its families flourish.</em>
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<div>It takes a village to raise a child. In my home town of Bamako, Mali, I was raised by a loving community of family, friends, neighbours and community members. My life-long passion for music took me on a journey through West Africa and, eventually, to Australia. Here, I met my amazing partner Sophie and founded <a href="https://www.supermandepercussion.com.au" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Super Mande Percussion</a>, an organisation which inspires and brings together music lovers from all walks of life. Now, I want to give back to the place where it all began.
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<div>I want to support the people of Kabala by building a kindergarten where children and families can flourish. We have already invested over $10,000 and the kindergarten’s foundations have been laid. Now we need the help of our family, friends, and wider community to get it over the line.
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<div><strong>How will a kindergarten help the Kabala community thrive?</strong>
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<div><em>Setting up Kabala’s children for success</em>
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<div>Kindergarten attendance is a major factor in children’s future academic, social, and emotional success. <a href="https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhood/parents/kindergarten/allaboutkinder.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Victorian government</a> has found that children who attend kindergarten are “...more independent and confident, and are more likely to make a smooth transition to primary school (Prep)”.
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<div>“<em>Education is good for children, because you can build important life skills and learn about many other things. Our community has great educators, and now they will have somewhere to teach!</em>” - Fanta Souko, Medicine student and Kabala local.
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<div>“<em>Children want to learn things and play together, and this means I can have a break (both physically and mentally). It can allow me to do what I need to.</em>” - Aminata Coulibaly, pictured with her grandchildren.
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<div><em>Empowering families to flourish and women to get back into the workforce </em>
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<div>With their children taken care of, local parents will have more time and freedom to pursue employment opportunities. This in turn will power the local economy.
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<div>"<em>(If) the children go to school and to kindergarten, I’m free to do my work. I didn’t have a chance to go to school, and I don’t want my grandchildren to miss this opportunity.</em>” - Madame Fanta Sacko, a peanut farmer and grandmother.
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<div><em>A valuable community hub where families can come together</em>
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<div>The kindergarten will provide a hub for parents and families to come together and support each other through their parenting journeys. Discussions about community health, hygiene, safety and more can be had in a safe, clean and comfortable space. The kindergarten will be a place to express doubts, ask for advice, share tips, and provide a helping hand where needed.
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<div><em>Mady giving a speech at a community event in Kabala.</em>
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<div>“Mady saw that the nearest school for people living in this area is too far away for the local residents to travel. He bought this land for another reason, but he saw it could be put to better use. This event today is not just for fun. It’s to raise awareness that we are building a kindergarten for this community, and to seek everyone’s help in finishing it.” - Mafing Souko, school teacher.
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<div><strong>What will the $15,000 be used for?</strong>
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<div>We have already invested over $10,000 to get this project off the ground. It has purchased a lot of the building materials and paid for the foundations of the kindy to be laid. To pay for the rest of the build and see it come to fruition, we need to raise $15,000 through this campaign. This is why we’re appealing to our family, friends and wider community for support.
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<div>Original building quote: 430,0000 West African CFA francs (just under AU$30,000)
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<div><strong>Kindergarten blueprint: </strong>
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<div>The kindergarten will consist of three classrooms, two office / administration rooms and a block of latrines.
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<div>If you would like to see the building quote and building plans in detail, please send us a message via this Go Fund Me page.
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<div><strong>To our corporate sponsors.</strong>
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<div>Special thanks to the following corporate sponsors who have each donated more than $500 towards this project:
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<li><a href="https://earthsystems.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth Systems</a> - an environmental and social science and engineering company, which develops and implements innovative and effective environment, water and sustainability solutions throughout the world.
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<li><a href="https://multiculturalconsulting.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Multicultural Consulting Services</a> - a social enterprise with a focus on “Building stronger communities and changing lives through impactful social and economic initiatives.”
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<div><strong>To our family, friends, and wider community, thank you.</strong>
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<div>Your donation will make more difference than you’ll ever know. If you are not in a position to donate, please share our campaign with your networks. From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank you for being part of the success story of our kindy.
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Build a kindy for Kabala's kids

Still $3,240 to go. Help us build momentum.