Baissou Sissoko – is a conflict resolution specialist with a decade of experience. He began his career as an intern with Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office and served as a volunteer with various community mediation centers, district, and circuit courts, and schools. Previously, he worked with the Baltimore City Office of Civil Rights and the Washington D.C. Office of Police Complaints to implement and/or coordinate the Police Complaints Mediation Programs. He taught conflict resolution courses and facilitated workshops on Diversity, Culture, and Indigenous Alternative Dispute Resolution Processes in Mali and the US. The owner of Sora & Associates Mediation and Conflict Resolution Services, he is Vice President of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR), an editorial board member for ACR Quarterly Journal, and a former JAMS grant reviewer. He holds an MS in Negotiation and Conflict Management from the University of Baltimore and a BS in Foreign Language from Fes, Morocco. He speaks French, English, Bambara, Soninke, and Dyula.

Baissou’s background and passion for founding KNIKI as told by him: My story begins in 1998 in the Ivory Coast, a couple of years after the death of the first president. A new immigration policy considered discriminatory to individuals of immigrant parents like me was enacted. To be considered a citizen, one of the child’s parents had to be born in Ivory Coast. Inequalities and inequity were prevalent both at school and in the community. At 15 years old, I relocating to Mali while my parents stayed in the Ivory Coast.

My first years living in the villages of Kerouane as a student were extremely challenging. I loved going to school, and was cared for by my teachers, the community. The phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” is a testament to my childhood. 

Kerouane is a small village about 3 hours’ drive from the capital Bamako.  The only community health center available serves Kerouane and 15 surrounding villages totaling 18621 people. In case of emergency, the village uses a motorcycle to evacuate patients. In extreme cases, an ambulance is requested from the city, which often arrives too late. Consequently, many people, like my father and my younger brother, have lost their lives. One morning in 2008, my father woke up with a migraine. In just a few hours, the illness got worse. There was no ambulance.  Even though a car (not an ambulance) was sent, it was too late. He passed away on the 2 hours journey to the hospital. In 2019, the ambulance evacuating my younger brother in a coma broke down on the road. It was too late by the time another ambulance came to the rescue. More than often care is delayed and sometimes too late resulting in countless loss of lives.

KNIKI’s proactive approach provides quality, timely, free primary care to its patients in rural areas through local empowerment, thereby contributing to universal healthcare and community well-being. With your help, we can save lives by providing sustainable access to life-saving healthcare