Airmen donate clothes, sports items to Malian

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Justin Weaver
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
BAMAKO, Mali (AFPN) --  Months of hard work came to fruition for Airmen from Aviano Air Base, Italy, when they delivered boxes of clothing to a local orphanage July 16 in Mali.

When Airmen from Aviano found out they were going to Mali for a medical mission, they joined efforts with the local community to gather more than 2,500 pounds of clothing, shoes, toys, and soccer equipment.

"When I heard about this clothing drive, it really hit home for me," said Staff Sgt. Mohammed Gadiaga, a 31st Medical Group bio-engineer and native of Senegal, a bordering country. "I was born right next door to Mali, and I knew how much this could benefit a third-world country."

Sergeant Gadiaga is one of more than 90 servicemembers deployed to Bamako for MEDFLAG 08, a multi-national medical training exercise designed to enhance medical capabilities and readiness for U.S. and African forces.

The 89 boxes of clothing, toys and shoes were divided between two orphanages, where the items will then be distributed to Malian families in need and to the children at the orphanges.

"It's a real feeling of accomplishment to see this through," Sergeant Gadiaga said. "I promised the people who donated these items that they would get to other people who needed it and it's very emotional to see the final result."

The orphanage, located in the center of Bamako, has a small staff who takes care of more than 100 children. Every Tuesday, Malian families line up early in the morning to receive milk and medication from the orphanage. The donated clothes will be distributed to these families as well.

"It means so that the military traveled all this way to help our country and to bring these clothes to us," said Nene Duattara, Bamako National Orphanage director. "Today is very emotional for us; thank you."

Airmen visiting the orphanage also had an opportunity to spend some time with the infants and children living there.

"I had no idea when I first started helping with this clothing drive what the impact might be," said Staff Sgt. Manuel Ortiz, 31st MDG medical logistics journeyman. "When I was finally able to hold the children in my arms who received these clothes, I choked up -- it was such a humbling experience."

Next week, the MEDFLAG team will visit four different villages providing humanitarian care to an estimated 600 patients a day. At each village, Malians will receive two bags of soccer balls, two bags of shoes and one bag of sport's uniforms.

"We picked soccer equipment to donate because it's what they live and breathe for here," said Sergeant Gadiaga, who remembers playing it every day growing up in Senegal. "With just one ball, you get 20 plus people playing and it makes their day."

A local sport's store in Aviano even donated more than $1,200 worth of new cleats, jerseys and other equipment for the Malians to use.

"From the process of collecting the items in Aviano, to putting them on the plane and actually distributing the items, it's such a feeling of accomplishment," Sergeant Gadiaga said. "We touched a lot of lives today and all the work that went into this makes it all worthwhile."

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