The Tandana Foundation, an Ohio-based non-profit with roots in Spring Valley, has dramatically shifted its mission in Mali, West Africa, moving from long-term community development to providing immediate survival aid for thousands fleeing ongoing violence. For two decades, the organization, co-founded by Anna Taft, daughter of former Ohio Governor Bob and Hope Taft, focused on building schools, digging wells, and fostering community gardens. However, persistent coups and armed conflicts in Mali have forced a drastic change, according to Tandana officials.
Anna Taft, Tandana’s founding director, acknowledged the emotional toll of this transition. She described the situation as “challenging, horrible” as the foundation confronts the displacement of people it has supported for years. The foundation, established in 2006 with support from her parents and others, initially aimed to empower communities in both Mali and Ecuador. Its home base remains the Taft residence in Greene County, Ohio.
Mali, a nation of 26 million, has been embroiled in non-stop conflicts for over a decade, leading to rural villages and townships being overrun by insurgent forces. This has turned residents into refugees, fleeing to larger cities. Moussa Tembine, a native Malian and Tandana’s country director, witnessed the destruction firsthand. He reported that violent groups “rob, burn the village, and chase the population out,” estimating that approximately 2,000 people from destroyed townships and villages have sought refuge in cities like Bandiagara.
Tandana’s work in recent years has focused on helping these displaced individuals survive. The foundation is now providing tents, food, and supplies, alongside establishing schools for children and offering job skills training for adults. Many refugees, having no prior experience with urban living, are also taught practical skills like how to set up bank accounts, according to Tembine. He described sleepless nights, lamenting the disappearance of years of work, but affirmed Tandana's long-term commitment.
Columbus resident Joyce Johnson, a retired schoolteacher and spouse of former state lawmaker Tom Johnson, visited Mali with Tandana in 2011. She recalled a “life-changing trip” where she helped dig wells, build a school, and plant gardens, marveling at children who walked miles to attend classes. Today, with a travel ban in effect for Mali, Johnson said she struggles to imagine how “everything is gone and burned and the people had to leave everything behind.” Despite the devastation, she noted, Tandana's “work is still being done.”
Another Columbus woman, Mary Maloney, also contributed to Tandana’s early efforts, notably purchasing a computer system for Kansongo in central Mali during a 2009 visit. A newborn was named Mary in her honor. Maloney expressed sorrow that Kansongo is now “filled with refugees” and described her time there as “life-changing.”
The humanitarian crisis is deeply personal for those on the ground. Garibou Yalcouye, a local mayor who worked with Tandana, reported that his township suffered terrorist attacks for four consecutive months, resulting in significant loss of life and property damage. He appealed to the Tandana Foundation and other partners for support, describing it as “a cry of my heart in this crisis.” Aissa Seguepire, a refugee aided by Tandana, shared that when people fled her village, they had no news of family for weeks, and that “They killed many people and took all our belongings,” adding that she lost four brothers.
Mali, a former French colony, is an impoverished country where two-thirds of the land is covered by the Sahara Desert. Its per capita annual income is $1,137, and malaria is the leading cause of death. The country's struggles were exacerbated last year by dramatic cuts, up to 90 percent, by the Trump administration to allocations from the U.S. Agency for International Development. One eliminated program had taught thousands of young people to read and write in their own language.
The Tandana Foundation will commemorate two decades of humanitarian efforts in both Ecuador and Mali with a celebration on November 21 at St. Charles Preparatory School in Bexley.