Baba Wagué Diakité

Baba Wagué Diakité was born in Bamako, Mali. He spent his early childhood with his grandmother in the village of Kassaro. At night he and his cousins would gather around the family fire waiting for grandma to share stories. These stories connected them to their surrounding nature, to their ancestors, and to the history of their little village. Diakité arrived in the United States in 1985. He founded the Ko-Falen Cultural Center in Bamako in 2004 and returns to Mali annually to direct programs. He is the creator of several children’s books, including the award-winning The Hunterman and the Crocodile.