I am toasty under layers of comforters and hugged by the warmth of a traditionally hand-woven Malian blanket. Do I have to face the cold outside this tent? I hear the wind whipping against the flimsy sides of the tent, pushing hard to invade my space. Oh please tell me it’s only 4:00am and I can languish under these blankets for a few more hours.

Then I thought of Fatoumata in Mali, West Africa. The thought of Mo encourages me to jump out of bed without a single whine and bless the sides of the tent protecting me from the force of wind. Mo sleeps on the sidewalk in front of the mosque in Bamako. She doesn’t have a tent.

Her story reminds me why I’m up here and I honor her every day for reminding me of how much I have, even in the worst of times:

Mo was the youngest beggar to attend Hèrè Jè. With no birth records, we guessed she was about 11 years old. From a rural village, her parents came to Bamako looking for employment. What they found was begging.  Shortly after Mo’s birth, her father died leaving her blind mother and 5 babies to fend for themselves.  Mo and her sisters sometimes found peanuts to sell on the street.

Mostly they begged on the streets. Their “home” an alcove on the sidewalk in front of the grand mosque. When we first met Mo, she didn’t remember eating regularly. She explained mostly they ate meager leftovers from people bringing food to the mosque.  Only once did Mo remember receiving a new dress for a Tabaski celebration.  Mostly she relied on throwaway clothing from others.

Fast-forward 4 years.  Mo is eating healthy food every day. She supports her mother and sisters.  At Hèrè Jè Center, Mo learned to use a serger that “finishes” fabric edges.  Not only has she mastered the machine ~ she also knows how to repair the serger when it breaks down. We think she could become an engineer! Her favorite activity is wax-stamping the fabrics. She’s a master.

When she first came to Hèrè Jè we asked her dream.  Her response, “To earn enough money so my mother doesn’t have to beg at all.”

Mo is now a talented artist creating beautiful hand-wax stamped fabrics. Her dream has come true.

Mo is why I have no complaints living up on this roof.  Bring on the wind.  Bring on the rain. I am impervious to it all because of Mo.

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