News Updates!
Mali. Co-founder and Executive Director, Lynn Curtis, returned recently from a successful trip to Mali, where he trained a group of 26 native Malians in the MBS program. They have all submitted their paperwork and have been approved to receive their MBS certificates later in July. These humble and hardworking entrepreneurs worked for three days straight in temperatures reaching 107° F to receive the training necessary and complete their business, home and community plans.
Eight of these participants stayed to learn how to facilitate these same materials among their family and friends. Although working via the internet is nearly impossible, they are excited and willing to do what it takes to become Success Ambassadors and share what they’ve learned with their families and friends. In this extra training, they taught each other the principles they had learned and even got to practice facilitating a make-shift group of MBS participants, including a community celebrity.
Lynn said, “The father of one of the trainees is a very famous former mayor and happened to show up at just the right moment. We persuaded him to be a sample participant. He arrived in full ceremonial dress and all the trainees were starstruck and nervous to facilitate a group with such a bigshot in it. But they rose to the occasion and everyone had such a good experience learning and laughing together. I was really proud of our potential success ambassadors.”
He continues by explaining the intimate welcome he received into the family compound when his travel plans fell through. We are inspired by the humble conditions and hearty generosity of our Interweave family in Mali.
“Last night we had a complicated mix-up with my hotel and transportation, and the group insisted we stay in the family compound (close to the training site) of the local guy who helped organize the training. The finest they had to offer was so humble and shared with so many extended family members. It was camping out with lots of strangers and humbly reminded me of all the daily life luxuries (running water, a bed, privacy, a fan in extreme heat) that I take for granted.”