Awa Diarra and Aminata Traore, the cousin and sister-in-law, respectively, of Sali, have found that their neighborhood streets of Bamako, Mali are plagued with dirty plastic diapers. This is an issue that is not only aesthetically displeasing , but has many severe implications in the contamination of water sources and the soil farmers need to plant their crops. 

Therefore, Kokadje, which means “Getting Clean” in Bamanan, was created as a company to produce cloth diapers to be sold to mothers throughout Mali, and is available for purchase through Yamacu. 

As the founder of Todunkan, my passion for cuisine and culture has led me to create a multilingual project aimed at teaching my American-born children, nieces, and nephews the native language of Bamanan. Bamanan is widely spoken in West Africa, but there are few resources available for learning it. The project takes Bamanan stories and translates them into English and French, creating fun and engaging learning materials such as songs, coloring books, and activity books. With the support of Yamacu, the entire team receives a full-time salary, and we've produced over 10 stories and lessons, which we plan to publish as a workbook in 2022.

Mama Kasso, meaning “Mama’s Home” is a shelter program that has been in operation for over 15 years.  This program was started out of Sali’s home in Bamako, and is currently still being operated by her mother.  The program provides rural youth and young adults of Bamako with a support system and liaison to household job opportunities, like cooking, cleaning, childcare services, and home management skills. As well as providing a safe haven for the youth of Bamaka, Mama Kasso has also become a resource for employers to seek future employees, where terms of employment, salary, and other negotiations are handled in-house.