Jigiya

A note about the disabled: In the country of Mali, the physically and developmentally disabled receive absolutely no assistance-- monetary or otherwise-- from the government at neither the national nor local level-- an example of this being when a group of disabled citizens went to the local government office in a small village to ask for help, and were told to leave immediately and not return. Aside from this, many disabled Malians are completely shunned by their fellow citizens. This leaves them with little choice but to become beggers in order to receive the money and food necessary to survive.

A note about Jigiya: Jigiya, which means "support" or "help" in the local language of Bambara, is a group of more than 200 physically and developmentally disabled Malians-- both men and women-- from the Segou Region who have organized themselves in order to come together and provide encouragement, inspiration, and support to each other so that they can all improve the quality of their lives. The members of the association teach each other technical and business skills and share in the joy of music, dance, and laughter. The group has also pooled their resources together in order to provide small loans to members in need-- another way that they are improving lives and helping fellow disabled Malians. Jigiya, with the help of current Peace Corps Volunteer Stephen Andersen, have connected with the Self-Advocacy Association of New York State (SA), a group of similarly-disabled Americans, and the two groups now exchange regular communication, thoughts, stories, and support. Please visit THIS site to learn more information about Jigiya and SA.

Last night, about a dozen or so members of the Jigiya group performed a showcase of singing and dancing for the current Peace Corps Trainees. It was inspiring to see a group of people so full of energy, joy, and life despite the struggle and discrimination they are faced with each day. It was also great to see the connection and companionship that these otherwise-ignored individuals have found in each other.

Click HERE to see a short video of the performance. Enjoy:)