Former Assistant Manager Terrell Jacobs and Engineering Administrator Jason Peek (Transportation & Public Works) of the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County traveled on a USAID-funded mission to Bamako, Mali during January 9-17, 2004. Mali is a culturally rich country in West Africa. Like many African nations, solid waste management is an immense challenge, particularly the proliferation of flimsy plastic bags around the country. The bags do not biodegrade quickly, thus filling landfills and hindering other materials from biodegrading faster. Jacobs and Peek traveled to Mali as part of a partnership designed to:

1. Develop and implement a solid waste management “model” or “learning laboratory” in Commune 1 of Bamako;
2. Identify what is learned and the successful practices to apply to all of Bamako as part of a solid waste management plan;
3. Improve overall solid waste management for the community of Bamako, Mali.

Jacobs and Peek traveled to Mali January 9-17, 2004, on the first exchange of the
partnership. The goal of the first exchange was to begin writing the project action plan, based upon a professional diagnostic, interviews, and consultation with Bamako solid waste officials and stakeholders.

The action plan developed includes the following major objectives:

1. Develop and implement of a Beautification & Educational Media Campaign;
2. Develop and implement transit dumps within the model area;
3. Management and landfill operation training and training material development.

The team from Athens-Clarke County will provide technical assistance in implementing project objectives such as training, educational materials, and consultation.

The partnership is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Athens-Clarke County became involved through the International City/County Management Association’s (ICMA) CityLinks program. Participation is competitive and Athens-Clarke County was selected because of its progressive approach to service delivery and, in part, because of Peek’s prior experience with the Peace Corps in Mali and his knowledge of the native language, Bambra.

“Athens-Clarke County and Bamako have many things in common, but our shared commitment to service delivery and high quality of life for our citizens makes this partnership particularly valuable,” said Jacobs. “We look forward to using this small project to build upon solid waste management efforts in Bamako and, eventually, establishing a standard for use throughout Mali. As an Athens-Clarke County employee, the experience has taught me to be more creative with the resources I am provided at home.”