Help Kids in Mali have warm clothing in winter

Hi there, my name is Gina Crepaz and I'm raising funds to get the warm winter clothes I collected for children in Western Mali from Austria to Mali, Koulikoro, Didieni. Towards the end of 2019 I was made aware, that toddlers and primary school children in several villages in Western Mali didn't have any warm clothes to get them through the cold winter months. One wouldn't believe it but in the months of December, January and February temperatures sometimes drop to 0 degrees centigrade. My heart was touched deeply, when I saw the condition of the schools and how children down there are partially having to live. It's really quite unbelievable and very sad. Some of the schools are barely roofed, let alone equipped with windows and proper doors. Most don't even have sanitary facilities. Their sanitary facilities are mostly just a hole in the ground. The families in those villages often can't even afford the 1 Euro school fee to send their little ones to school so they can at least learn how to read and write.

Basically I decided on a whim to initiate a clothing collection of second hand kids clothes, blankets, and toys. Most mother's and women I spoke to over here were overly glad to hear that they could help, that their children's clothes were not just being thrown away by some charity that said, their clothes weren't good enough. And the knowledge that their children's clothes would warm another child's body was something that really resonated with them. My plan is to organize individual and private transport with trusted people to ensure that all the goods would also arrive at the planned destination. The people who donated goods were so very kind and full of hope for the little kids in the African village which in turn also really gave me hope and especially the strength to pull through with this project.

I was really flabbergasted and so so grateful for the support I have received for my little mission so far. I informed myself about the best way to transport the clothes and from previous experience decided to invest in a cheap old bus that will be transported in a container and by cargo ship to the closest seaport near Mali (depending on the cheapest fair), picked up by my trustees down there who will then bring the clothing to where the children are waiting for their warm winter clothes. Unfortunately I found out in the mean time that the villages in the area of Koulikoro were also plundered by the rebells, so the situation has become even more dire.

Today I'm asking all of you to help and make this happen together. To help me get the goods down to were they are really needed. Your donations will go towards shipping, registration, transfer, fuel etc. If we succeed, we will do it again and next time also bring school utensils, pencils and so on down there on top of clothes and maybe at some point even support more! We will document the whole journey and accompany it with videos and photographs to let you take part from start to finish. Personally I can't wait to make a difference and I'm grateful that I'm able to initiate this wonderful journey. So let's make a difference together! I'm very very thankful to every single one of you.