I recently had the privilege of visiting the beautiful West African nation of Mali. I was there with DATA and ONE to advance a visit by the runners from Running the Sahara to an Africare/USAID irrigation site just west of Tombouctou (Timbuktu to Americans) in Goundam, Mali.

The project is a great example of how increased water access can make a difference in so many lives. Just one water pump is providing irrigation to grow food for the more than 30,000 people in the area, and it has created a surplus of food which is sold elsewhere to benefit the community and help put children into school. The pump is providing enough stability for the community to grow and diversify their opportunities.

While in Tombouctou, I went to visit the municipal water supply. The deep well and water plant had been built decades ago, but only in the past decade had the price of water come down to where the availability became universal. Now that it is, people in the community told me the change was dramatic.

I visited a local school full of healthy young children engaged in class. In fact, 168 of them in just one classroom! Without clean water many of the children, especially the girls, would spend the day fetching water from the river 6 miles away. Water which could make the whole family sick. But with clean water this is now a place of hope.

Our last night in town we made friends at dinner with the mayor of Tombouctou. When the discussion came around to water, he spoke proudly of his city’s accomplishments. He also offered his support and gratitude to the ONE Campaign, and put on a ONE wristband to show it.

While we ate a delicious meal of rice and vegetables, a local musical group, “Troupe de Khaira”, was playing live and enjoying a large audience dancing under the stars. The troupe played great music and were so kind as to allow me to record them performing and to share a song with ONE members for this week’s podcast. This song comes direct from Mali to you. Enjoy.