Les Amis de la Route: Mali

We recently had the opportunity to chat with Mali-based Grégoire Tessougue, President of Road Safety Association ‘Les Amis de la Route‘ and learn more about the work they do, donating school exit signs for schools facing major roads to protect pedestrian schoolchildren and campaigning for the overall safety of pedestrians and schoolchildren in Mali.

Our objective is to protect pedestrian school children against road accidents by putting safety devices for pedestrian crossings in front of schools and public spaces. We advocate with authorities and other organizations defending pedestrians, cycling and walking for their safety in our cities.

Grégoire Tessougue President of the Association Les Amis de la Route

Les Amis de la Route was created in 2015 by Grégoire Tessougue and Ferdinand Kamaté following a high rate of road accidents of pedestrian schoolchildren on the way to school. There is a serious issue with the absence of pedestrian safety systems in front of schools facing major roads and the association was created due to the insecurity suffered by schoolchildren on the way to school. A program was initiated in 2020 to advocate with authorities and organizations defending pedestrians and cyclists for their safety in our environments.

We are a non-profit association so we need support in material and financial terms from defense organizations to allow us to set up safety devices for pedestrians in front of establishments for their safety and mobility. We help to protect pedestrian mobility by schools and public spaces by making school exit signs and other barriers to vehicular traffic.

“I became personally involved in this issue after being the victim of a road accident years ago in front of my school. I became a volunteer firefighter in 2010 and when I work in the ambulance to rescue road accident victims, I noticed that young people on the way to school are the most vulnerable. This fragility is due to the lack of road safety systems for pedestrians and cyclists in front of schools and public spaces.

So in 2015 I created the association with a friend, Ferdinand Kamate, to fight against road accidents among young people, put safety systems for pedestrians and cyclists in front of schools and public spaces, and make pleas to international organizations and national pedestrian and cyclist safety groups to put safety devices in front of schools and public spaces.“

–Grégoire Tessougue

Grégoire Tessougue is also President of Vélo Sans Age du Mali , an organization with the objective to offer a free ride to the elderly and disabled on bicycles and scooters. Grégoire notes that “Through this organization, we give a smile to the elderly and disabled and allow the wind to blow through their hair.” For more information on the international organization Cycling Without Age visit here.

I became personally involved in this issue after being the victim of a road accident years ago in front of my school. I became a volunteer firefighter in 2010 and when I work in the ambulance to rescue road accident victims, I noticed that young people on the way to school are the most vulnerable. This fragility is due to the lack of road safety systems for pedestrians and cyclists in front of schools and public spaces.

Grégoire Tessougue

If you are interested in connecting with Grégoire Tessougue with ideas to collaborate with and support Les Amis de la Route please contact him here on Linkedin or on Facebook here.