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| Site last Updated 12/18/05 | ||
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| Site last Updated 12/18/05 | ||
TBMs to Timbuktu: Mission to Mali 2005 |
| In conjunction with Medicine for Mali, six TBM700s took part in a humanitarian mission and cultural adventure to deliver much-needed medicine to the villages near Bamako, Mali in West Africa on their way to Timbuktu, Mali. Medicine for Mali is a nonprofit, non-aligned, tax-exempt organization dedicated to bringing medical services, clean water, improved educational opportunities, economic development and the promotion of sustainable agriculture to the people of Mali. Annually a team of a dozen or more members makes the trip to Mali via commercial airlines, carrying all the medicine they can fit into their baggage. They spend two to four weeks in the villages surrounding Bamako, the capital city. They must carry their medicine and supplies rather than shipping them, because shipping of goods cannot be relied upon and is extremely costly. |
| The generous and adventurous owners and pilots of six TBM700 aircraft have delivered approximately 3000 pounds of medicine and medical supplies to Mali for Medicine for Mali. |
| The $30,000US needed to acquire the medicine & medical supplies was donated by TBM owners, friends and Socata, the aircraft manufacturer. While trip expenses for the six aircraft are bourne directly by the aircraft owners, trip sponsors have provided valuable discounts on their services.. |
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Here are Mel and Tom hefting 70 pounds of medical supplies being made ready for the trip by the folks at Medicine for Mali. Feel free to tag along on our adventure/mission by browsing our progress even though our trip is now over. If you have installed Google Earth on your PC, you may want to view our trip leg-by-leg. By clicking here, you will download a small file which will direct Google Earth to show you our route. Once you have downloaded and opened the file, you should see an item called TBMs to Timbuktu.kmz under Places on the left of the screen. Open this by clicking on the arrow at the left. The next line should say TBMs to Timbuktu (without the kmz). Click on the box to the left and then click on the words TBMs to Timbuktu to select the tour. Then click on the Play button at the bottom of the Places window. Enjoy your trip! |
| “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever does.” - Margaret Mead, Anthropologist |