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Our Background:

We, Jeff Kimes and Jeremy Arndt, were suddenly worried when we first heard news of Mali’s crisis: a military coup that had precipitated into a very tense situation on the brink of civil war (more info below). We spent a lot of time together in Mali, where we first met on a Niger River delta on the road to Timbuktu, and since that serendipitous meeting we have embarked upon many (mis)adventures, including a music project together with our Malian friend and brother, Oumar Cisse. Last week, in response to a text message inquiring about our friend’s well-being, we received a string of messages in broken English:

"Very strong now no money no food please help us we are in bad condition for food"

"We have but no money to buy right now rice is very costing we almost dead no business to buy food".

Skype conversations have been full of tears and fear. Oumar doesn’t know if his family is even alive in the north in his home town of Timbuktu, as rebels and Islamic separatists have taken over the city.

Combined we have spent over a year’s worth of time living with Oumar and his family, and have traveled throughout West Africa and North Africa playing music together. Oumar’s family has become our own. We ate with them, slept with them, and did everything, as if we were African. They have shown us the true meaning of hospitality. They have shown us what it means to live like a Malian, and have given us a precious glimpse into another’s culture. Oumar would go to any length to help a friend in need and it is now our turn to help him, our own friend in a dire situation. It’s interesting how the tables can turn so quickly in life, as Oumar and his family first brought Jeremy into their home when an unscrupulous Malian tourist guide stole everything he had…money, cell phone, etc. on the first trip to Mali in January 2010.

After considering our options to help, we have decided to raise some money through GoFundMe.com to aid Oumar and his family. In Africa, they live with their extended family and family sizes are typically very large. In Oumar’s main household, led by his older brother Sandy Cisse, 20 people are fed for the day, including all the brothers and sisters, their children, cousins, neighborhood children, etc. Any extra money is sent to the towns Timbuktu and Mopti to their father and other family members, reaching a widespread family and social network. They are a family that will not turn away someone in need. If a friend came to them hungry, they would quickly greet with the Malian saying “An Be Kun”, meaning “Come, let us be together.” It is a saying that always says there is room for one more. We are confident that any money raised for Oumar and his family will go towards food and will benefit a large group of Malians in the Kalaban Koura neighborhood of Bamako, as well as the cities of Mopti and Timbuktu.

Thank you for listening and understanding.

With Love,

Jeremy Arndt and Jeff Kimes

The Crisis:

Just a few weeks ago, on March 21^st, 2012, the normally peaceful multi-cultured country of Mali began a spiral into chaos. Mali was considered the “most stable democracy in West Africa” and has been under democratic rule for many years. Mali and its rich history and cultures have attracted travelers from around the world. This chaos has its roots in the uprising last year in Libya and the fall of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. After the Libyan leader lost his life and control over his country, heavily armed Touareg soldiers fled to Mali. The Touareg are the desert nomadic people of the Sahara and many consider the north of Mali home. In January 2012, Touareg-led uprising for independence began in the north of Mali. This was the beginning of the current crisis. On March 21^st, disgruntled Malian soldiers who were fighting the rebellion in the north staged a coup d’état in Mali’s capitol, taking control of the palace, ousting President Amadou Toumani Toure. Quickly the streets in the capitol were filled with soldiers bearing arms, the constitution was suspended, borders were patrolled, and the airports were closed down. In response to the crisis, West African governing organization ECOWAS shut down Mali’s borders to imports and exports, stifling the economy and food trades that the poverty-stricken nation depends on. Non-Government aid organizations (NGOs, non-profits) quickly pulled out of the country in a time when they were needed the most. Food and fuel prices skyrocketed with the trade embargo, further hurting the population of Mali and pricing basic commodities well outside the economic possibility of most Malians.

Rebels and Islamic separatists have taken advantage of the disorganized coup and completely taken over the northern cities of Timbuktu, Gao, and Kidal. Reports of ransacking shops, rape, and the implementation of fundamentalist Sharia law have hit the news. Separatists are now pushing for the formation of a new West African country, Azawad.

There’s a saying in Africa:

“When two elephants are fighting, the grass suffers.”

The elephants are the giants… governments, militaries, rebel groups and the grass is the people, the poor, the civilians, the people who end up starving, raped, murdered, etc.

The Music:

We have decided to release three previously unreleased videos of some of our music from West Africa Jeremy recorded during his last trip there in the spring/summer of 2011 in order to promote the fundraiser. These songs are a small part of our group playing in the style of traditional Malian Blues. These are rough sketches of what we will be recording in the future together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfyByf2uECQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i9g5QpqMS4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqXKs7sYdpM

We also both have extensive photo albums documenting our travels throughout Mali on our facebook profiles if you'd like to get a more personalized feel for the land and people your generosity will benefit.

Jeff: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.302021447655.190482.734962655&type=3

Jeremy: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.776805493625.2405520.22404564&type=3

GoFundMe.com:

GoFundMe.com is an internet fundraising platform that has gained rave reviews with USA Today, CNN, and more. It is very easy to donate and donations can be sent with a debit or credit card, PayPal, and WePay. Jeff and I will transfer all money raised to Oumar Cisse in West Africa through Western Union secure money transfers. Our families and friends of the Cisse family have already sent money through Western Union and it has been successfully received during these trying times. You can be assured it will make it straight into the hands of a very large African family, and their close-knit circle of friends and neighbors. GoFundMe.com takes a 5% cut of donations to fund operating costs.

Questions:

Any questions, email Jeff or Jeremy! For an immediate response, email Jeff, as Jeremy is currently traveling and without consistent internet contact.

Jeff Kimes

j.l.kimes at gmail dot com

www.facebook.com/jefferidoo

www.jeffkimes.com

Jeremy Arndt

JeremyA.Music at gmail dot com

www.facebook.com/arndtj

www.jeremyarndt.com