Watching the ball drop in Times Square? Nope—that’s not how One Global Village rolls. OGV volunteers celebrated the new year in Dagabo, Mali, launching a series of projects to benefit the Siraba School with its partner, United Aid Foundation. From December 27 – January 3, UAF worked with local contractors, villagers, and students to build a covered lunch area with nine large tables and 54 benches (previously the kids were eating on the ground). And thanks to some excess building supplies, UAF also built an awning and table for the Siraba School cooking hut, as well as two soccer goals for an adjacent field. UAF volunteers even turned young villagers into carpenters by teaching them to build benches—and letting them keep their work. The 40+ benches can now be seen at the school and throughout the village.

The Hawa Clinic enjoyed an equally successful week, injecting roughly 210 local adults with STI antibiotics, dispensing anti-parasite medications to Siraba School students, and conducting 8 thyroid surgeries and one colostomy in Ouéléssébougou. Look for more information coming soon about One Global Village’s latest work in Mali!