Along with a group of Richmonders who would soon become the Virginia Friends of Mali, this high level delegation from Mali met with Governor Mark Warner and his staff, visited a Chesterfield County Elementary School as part of their Standards of Learning experience, and met with representatives from the Virginia Department of Education. The delegation also met with university presidents and students from the Richmond area. Later that evening, the Prime Minister was received at a gala reception by representatives of the Richmond Mayor's office.

The founding of Virginia Friends of Mali followed this remarkable visit.

Who are the Virginia Friends of Mali? We are students, teachers and professors from area high schools and universities, both public and private. We are business men and women. We are Malians working and studying in Virginia. We are former Peace Corps Volunteers who were stationed in Mali and other West African nations. We are historians interested in the important historical relationship between Richmond and the people of the Malian Empire. We are musicians interested in the wonderful music coming from Mali and West Africa and in the historical relationships between the music and instrumentation of West Africa and that of American musical traditions. We are travelers who have read of the historic importance of Timbuctu as a center of learning in the desert of Mali and now have an opportunity to visit that city as honored representatives of the City of Richmond.

We are citizens and residents of the Richmond area who want to build a lasting, mutually beneficial relationship between our city and the city of Segou, Mali. We have adopted Segou and Segou has adopted Richmond. We want to be Sister Cities. Segou is a beautiful city on the Niger River and is the second largest city in Mali. It is home to the Festival on the Niger, a festival that showcases the greatest musicians and artists of Mali and West Africa. The Festival also features economic, environmental, and educational components and in this fifth year has become the premier festival of its kind in West Africa.

Virginia Friends of Mali is building all the connections that comprise a Sister City relationship. We have sent citizen delegations to Segou. We have met with Segou's Mayor Thiero. We have met with current and former officials from the Segou region. We have met with teachers and students and have visited their schools. Musicians from Virginia have performed at the Festival on the Niger and Malian musicians have performed at Richmond's Folk Festival. Our members from Richmond's Community Radio have met and visited with community radio operators from Segou. We have met with leaders of Segou's business community and discussed ways we can build economic relationships. The Deputy Director of Mali's National Museum has visited with leaders of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and exchanged gifts and plans for the future.

There is so much more we plan to do. If you want to know more about Virginia Friends of Mali, or join us on our next trip to Mali, please contact us at info@vafriendsofmali.org or virginiafriendsofmali@gmail.com