Happy Easter!

​Hi friends,

We hope you are all doing well despite what the world is passing through.

Have you ever got into a cave tunnel without knowing how long is the tunnel and what is in the cave nor what the output looks like? Well this is the impression I have of this school year 2019-2020!

Every year we have had the routine of slowly passing through 3 school terms to the national exams. The only unknown was how good the students will do at the exam. Late March came with new government policies because of the fear of the virus that was not yet in Mali. They then started by closing the schools for 3 weeks and prohibiting from gathering more than 50 people. Our hope was to open schools after these 3 weeks but now the government is coming up with a decision to keep schools close for a month again.

Terrorist had cut off the road from Burkina Faso to Koro isolating us from the world, and now to this isolation is added the international restriction for health. The two small bridges between Sevaré and Koro are pounded down by the Islamist terrorists under the nose of the international peacekeeping army in Mali without any reaction.

I come to believe that our isolation is somehow the way God is using to protect us from this disease.

As our students are staying home, the teachers and administration of Grace School decided to get one full day of training on viruses and specifically on coronavirus so that we can teach preventive attitudes to our students and their parents in their house. Our training went well and our visit to the families was fantastic. It was great to see our students doing different things in life. Some are playing at home while others are helping their parents in their daily works like gardening, mechanic, carpentry etc.

We are considering the possibility to start gardening as we ignore when class will resume. Our garden will continue even after we resume classes as it will provide job with reliable income to many who arrived in Koro because of the war but have nothing to do to provide daily bread for family. The economy here is literally nonexistent.

We will have to wait for suitable time for the workers to safely come to Koro and bring cement and irons for construction. We do have enough sand to start laying bricks. The high school construction project is progressing very slowly. The deep wells at both the elementary and the high school sites have become oasis for the thirsty population of Koro. Water is critically lacking here.

Please pray that the war to stop in Koro and that all the killings will stop. The 2nd county mayor of Dinagourou (in the county of Koro) and his staff were killed and their burial will be tomorrow morning in Koro. Please keep praying for our safety and the safety of all the country.

This Easter is very different from what we used to have. Every family celebrates on his own at home with the door closed behind. It sounds very original though. :). We await to see how this will go.

We wish you a very Happy Easter and that this celebration of the accomplished work of Christ on the Cross, His death and resurrection will bring health and peace to all the world.

​We pray for your safety as you pray for ours, in this time of worldwide turbulence.
 
God bless you.
 
Your friend Ibrahima and family.