Caravan To Class News

Dear Friends of Caravan to Class,

I certainly did not expect to be sending an update only one month after my New Year's welcome e-mail on January 1, 2013. In that e-mail, I mentioned my strong desire to see the freedom of those in Northern Mali, particularly in Timbuktu, restored. Just as quickly and surprisingly as Timbuktu was taken over by the Islamic militants of Ansar Dine and MUJAO on April 1, 2012, it was remarkably and thankfully liberated by French forces on January 27, 2013.

Dear Friends of Caravan to Class,

The news on Timbuktu and Mali continues to be an important part of the global news cycle.

Liberation of Timbuktu and Recent Events

Only days after the French liberated Timbuktu and much of Northern Mali, they reported that they would leave soon. However, as events have unfolded, they, and the rest of the world, have come to realize how tightly linked Ansar Dine, the group of Islamic militants that took over Northern Mali, was with Al Qaida. As a result, the French will likely not leave until either a UN peacekeeping force arrives or they are able to establish a very secure cordon in the north of the Sahara Desert.

Dear Friends of Caravan to Class,

As a result of the French liberation of Timbuktu on January 28, 2013, Caravan to Class has put in place a plan to reopen our schools, or at least the ones that are ready to reopen...and we have some great news to share with you. As of the second week of April, we have resumed classes at three Caravan to Class schools in the villages of Tourrari, Tombouz and Togha and have begun supporting an additional school in the village of Bokyatt. Before I tell you about that, I wanted to give you an idea of how we got to this point.