Translated via Google: Le’Essor – Afribone
The inauguration of the renovated Grand Mosque Mopti and that of Djingarey Ber Timbuktu to be the highlight of the visit of Prince
More than a partner, is a great friend of Mali, who is on an official visit to our country since yesterday: His Highness the Aga Khan. The Prince – it is not his first visit to Mali – was greeted with full military honors due to his rank by the President Amadou Toumani Touré.
After the ceremonial reception (execution of anthems, review of troops, hello to the functional constituencies and a tower on the side of dance troupes), the illustrious visitor who is accompanied by members of his family, met with the head of the state in the presidential lounge of the international airport in Bamako-Sénou.
On leaving, His Highness Karim Aga Khan addressed the press to share his joy in returning to our country. “I am happy to return to Mali. During his stay, we will do the activities that we have initiated here and assess what progress has been made. We will also enjoy our visit to set new goals with the authorities and local communities in development. We have an agenda in Mali stimulating and loaded in the years to come, “said essentially the spiritual leader of Ismaïlis and chairman of the group Imamat Islamaili.
After this brief contact with the press, the president and his host put the cap on the hotel of Friendship are installed where the Prince and members of his delegation. In late afternoon, the Aga Khan and President Toure had a new head-to-head Koulouba palace.
The residence of Prince lead from today in Mopti, where he will inaugurate the Grand Mosque in the city renovated with funding from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. He will then travel to Timbuktu always accompanied by President Toure to inaugurate the mosque Djingarey Ber, also restored thanks to His Highness.
It must be remembered that the Aga Khan is a great friend of our country where it has come repeatedly. Indeed, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is present with us for over 25 years. The Network is mainly involved in economic activities.
Golden Jubilee visit to West Africa
It took until 2003 to see the focus on cultural and social activities in our country. These activities are part of the agreement establishing that Mali, Imamat Ismaïli and AKDN signed in August 2005.
The Great Mosque Mopti and Djingarey Ber mosque in Timbuktu were just restored in the activities of Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which was signed in February 2006 a memorandum of cooperation with the Ministry of Culture for conserving earthen architecture in Mali.
Through another collaborative agreement signed in June 2006 with the National Museum, the AKTC is committed to supporting this cultural institution in order to create a computerized inventory of archives and collections of digitized images and sounds. The AKTC has already assisted the National Museum in building a new block of conservation.
Other structure of Prince Aga Khan very active in our country: the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED). This fund is majority partner in society Embal-Mali, which is responsible for the manufacture of polypropylene bags since 1999. It is also the strategic partner (over 51% of the shares) in the Airline of Mali (CAM) since February 2005. The AKFED is also present (34%) alongside the State Energy Company of Mali (EDM) within a framework of a partnership contract that both parties signed in October 2005.
The group is also in our country in the field of microfinance through the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AKAM), which launched in 2005 a first microfinance agency called PAMF-Mali, a foundation for non – lucrative right of Mali. The first agency PAMF-Mali was opened in March 2006 in Mopti. Since its start in the city of Mopti and its extension in early 2007 to other circles in the region, PAMF-Mali has distributed more than 604 million CFA francs. It has over 3000 customers including farmers groups and women.
Regarding the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), it develops programs and activities in our country in the fields of education, health, rural development and civil society. The AKF currently attends the parent-child hospital, Luxembourg, and public hospitals in helping to train their staff in information technology, medical health, biomedical waste management, pharmacy, imaging.
On the other hand, the education program of the AKF interested in the implementation of a programme to improve schools as part of an integrated development programme.
M. Mr. KEITA KEITA
HIS ALTESSE The AGA KHAN A DESCENT ILLUSTRE
It was at age 20, July 11, 1957, that His Highness the Aga Khan became Imam (spiritual leader) of Shiite Muslims Ismailis. It is the 49è hereditary imam of Shiite Muslims and Ismailis descends directly from the Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) by his cousin and son-in-law Ali, the first imam, and his wife Fatima, daughter of the Prophet.
Son of Prince Aly Khan and Princess Tajuddawlah Aly Khan, the Aga Khan was born on December 13, 1936 in Geneva. He spent his early childhood in Nairobi, Kenya, and continued his studies at secondary school Le Rosey in Switzerland. In 1959, he obtained the degree in Islamic history (BA Honors) at Harvard University in USA.
Just like his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan, since his assumption of the imamate in 1957, has continued to worry about the welfare of all Muslims, focusing in particular on the challenges posed by the acceleration of the historic changes underway.
Today, the Ismailis live scattered in some twenty-five countries, mainly in central and western Asia, Africa and the Middle East and in North America and Western Europe. During the past four decades, most of these regions have witnessed dramatic political and economic implications. Face à ces changements, Faced with these changes, the Aga Khan has continued to adapt the complex system of Ismaili community, established by his grandfather during the colonial era, this new world of nation-states , Which grew in size and complexity with the independence of Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union.
Ismailimail 