Like many other rural areas in Mali, Bananzolé does not have adequate operating infrastructures except for a school, and meager resources come from traditional agriculture. There were no health facilities. The inhabitants had to travel up to 25 kilometers to the neighboring boroughs of Ouéléssébougou or Marako to obtain access to health services. Two health-related events have played a critical role in the launch of the clinic.
Both are related to women giving birth on the roadside, on the two occasions in the presence of several young men. This had happened several times in the past. Still, the latter was quite unbearable. The youth decided not to wait any longer for any hypothetic help from either local or central governments. They decided to build a clinic with their bare hands, using the mud and adobe, since they had no financial resources.
Two twin brothers, benevolent, who were builders and bricklayers, were leading them. After observing their commitment, the chief of the village and the elders decided to collect money and help them build in concrete rather than mud. The youth would still be the workforce. Unfortunately, the amount of money collected by the villagers ran out. They had to stop building and find other resources or partners.
This was when the Zakat Foundation of America was contacted for help.
By virtue of Allah (SWT), after visiting the project site, several meetings with youth, villagers, administrative authorities, and consulting engineers, a concept paper was submitted to our Program Division at headquarters in Chicago.
Immediate feedback was obtained, the project was endorsed, and funding was provided. Thus, the work started again with close monitoring and follow-up by Zakat Foundation Mali staff.
We contributed all construction materials (sand, cement, iron bars, paints, woods, etc.), medical and office equipment, stock of essential medicines, water well and electricity powered by solar energy, a three wheels motorcycle to be used as an ambulance, and to allow a smooth start, three-month salary wages for the team of nurse, birth attendant, and doctor.
In addition, the community contributed their energy and manpower and youth volunteers, to whom women would bring food. As most of the young men were also working on their crop fields, they organized the work on a rotational basis. During the process, Zakat Foundation of America's Mali team, with assistance from our partners, helped in capacity building for the designation of a clinic management team, the raising of resources for the operation of the clinic, the coordination and supervision from and with higher-level health reference facilities in Ouélessébougou and Marako which are the closest biggest districts.
By God's grace, here we are. The clinic is built, fully equipped, and the population is triumphant and happy. They decided to organize festivities for the inauguration of the clinic on June 5, 2021. Bananzolé population and diaspora and populations, traditional and administrative notabilities from other neighboring villages attended this memorable event during two nights and one day.
Our organization and our partners were guests of honor. Official speeches and testimonials from beneficiaries (including beneficiaries of existing programs) expressed their satisfaction and recognition of our work on such a critical project.
They also constantly repeated the positive impact of the water well we helped construct, the livestock project, the Orphan Sponsorship program. They were thankful and made many duas for Zakat Foundation of America, our donors, namely The Merchant Family for the clinic, the family of the late Omar Alsheik for the water well, the sponsors of the children and our partners. They were instrumental in realizing the programs and in the achievement of the women's clinic.
Our Mali team thanked them all for the duas, commended them for their initiatives, participation, commitment, and solidarity, urging them to make the best use of the clinic, equipment, and other infrastructures.