Things moved really fast for our initiative in Mali.
It was only last November when the Rotary Club of Niagara-on-the-Lake began discussions with the Rotary Club of Kati about a seamstress project that they were setting up. The project involved establishing a sewing centre where 20 trained seamstresses could work as a co-op to manufacture and sell traditional African garments. NOTL Rotary raised the funds for this venture, and these were disbursed in February.
On April 16, some of us were able to watch the Grand Opening of Kati Couture Niagara in Mali by live Zoom feed. As a special note, the Rotary Club of Kati has changed the name of the venture from Kati Couture to Niagara Couture. The name change is only partly in recognition of our help. In the local language used in this part of Mali, Niagara also means hard worker. The name is as fitting for our friends in Mali as it is for us.
