At the last minute Bonny our retriever decided to go on a rabbit chase making us late for setting off to the Domaine de Sautou. We arrived practically at the end of the meeting and just in time for supper. We felt dreadful but Jean Marie and Winnie said they were just pleased we were there.
Very quickly the accounts look good. The best news is another association in Toulouse wishes to join with Via Sahel to help children in Mali. This association has money already raised for the children but have no project arranged, so are keen to join with Jean Marie who knows everyone in Bamako. He knows how to go about things in the city after working there for 40 years and has a big project of building a new school.
The 120 femmes as now 102 femmes and it was felt a further push could soon gain the extra "marraines" needed.
The disabled children who had been disrupting teaching in the main school had been rehabilitated in a more suitable building and this was working well. Imagine being a disabled child in Bamako, with no parents, no food, no clothing, no education, what a God-send Jean Marie has been to these terribly deprived children.
We had a lovely evening chatting to like minded French people and to someone who said to me a few weeks ago there are no French in this region worth bothering with" I can honestly say if you speak the language you meet all sorts of wonderful people, and we certainly did tonight. Interestingly we met Sophie Bouvier's parents ( Sophie has been our Doctor in Varen for 13 years) and Mme Bouvier will be giving a talk on "policiers/ crime novels" at the Parisot Literary festival. She is also arranging an evening on the 4th of October at Sautou feteing French cheeses. More info on that later.
We came home exhausted from chatting in French but exhilarated after a very positive evening.
Malc says "and overfull".
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