On Tuesday, December 2nd the Peace Corps Mali community lost a very important member. Cristina Nardone had completed her Peace Corps Service and returned to Mali to work on an irrigation project for a medicinal garden near the city of Bandiagara. The article posted in the local newspaper has been translated below:
Bandiagara : Tragic Collapse of a Water Towerl'Essor n°16337 du - 2008-12-04 08:00:00
An American was killed last Tuesday in the collapse of a water tower. The accident occurred in the village of Kokodiougou, 15 kilometers north of Bandiagara in the rural commune of Doucoumbo.
The victim, Cristina Nardone, was the coordinator of the Global System Tourism Alliance (GSTA). Her compatriot, Brenda Adelson was injured in the accident. Christina Nardone was a member of the Federation of Traditional Medicine in partnership with the Regional Center for Traditional Medicine in Bandiagara.
The construction work on the water tower was finished last Monday. The structure measured 4 meters in height; with 2 meters being for the pillars and 2 meters for the portion holding the water. The water tower was entirely constructed of cement.
The day after the construction work was completed, the two women visited the site, along with the builder, to visit the water tower, which was to water medicinal plants in the botanical garden managed by the "Federation of Traditional Therapy" of Bandiagara (FATTB) in the village.
Upon arriving at the site, Christina Nardone asked the builder to fill the basin with water.Several minutes after the water tower was filled, it collapsed on the two women who were unfortunately under it.The collapse led to the sudden death of Cristina Nardone. With respect to Brenda Adelson, she suffered an open fracture on her left leg.
As soon as they were alerted, police agents from Bandiagara arrived on the scene and the victims were immediately transported to Mopti.The builder of the water tower is currently being held at the gendarmerie.
The entire population of Bandiagara prays the victim will rest in peace and for the rapid restablishment of Brenda Adelson. The two women were true friends of the Circle of Bandiagara.
O. GUINDOAMAP-Bandiagara
Christina had a beautiful spirit and through her work and life she inspired many people, including myself. May she rest in peace.
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Cristina Alessandra Nardone... may you rest in peace...
ReplyDeleteCristina is one of those few special people who touch your heart the instant you get to know her. Her kindness will leave an everlasting impression on those she interacted with. She left a large imprint on this world. Cristina will continue living in the hearts,minds and memories of those she touched with her humility and tenderness. We will never forget such a great friend!!
ReplyDeleteBrenda is my cousin and her family here is very thankful she is being well taken care of. We send our condolences to Ms. Nardone's family. Thank you for posting this blog, it is the first written information I have been able to find.
ReplyDeleteThis comment is for Linda Willis - I met both Brenda and Cristina when I was in Mali in October for USAID, and spent a lot of time talking to both of them. There's a lot all over the web about Cristina, but not about Brenda. I've gotten one email about her condition as of a day or two ago - if you could email me offline with more info, I'd appreciate it - jhecht@alum.mit.edu. Has anyone from your familiy been able to join her in Paris?
ReplyDeleteWe are deeply saddened to hear about Cristina death. May your soul rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteMay the comfort of God help the Nardone Family (Enzo, Berta, & Jaqueline) during this difficult time. May the love of those around them help them through the days ahead. We love you Cristina
I am an American working at the Bandiagara Hospital and a friend of both Brenda and Christina. I would also like to be informed of Brenda's status in Paris at jess.manning@gmail.com if possible. I will actually be in Paris for Christmas and if she is still there, I would like to be able to visit. We are all very anxious to know how Brenda is doing. Thank you! Jessica
ReplyDeleteBrenda is my cousin as well. We just heard that she is on an airambulance to the States...she is to undergo emergency surgery that must be performed within 48 hours due to a sever infection. Our news is also sketchy at best. Thanks for all of your kind words and my thoughts and prayers go to Cristina's family as well.
ReplyDeleteBrenda should arrive in the States sometime this evening. She will be treated at a highly regarded hospital located very near her brother's home. As heard, she suffered a smashed femur, broken ankle, broken collarbone a concussion and she will need muscle and skin grafts. An infection has also set in. Though, as Carol Ann has said news is sketchy.
ReplyDeleteWe are working to bring Brenda's mother down to our place which is about 45 minutes from the hospital or bring her on to her brother's house. Please keep Brenda, Cristina and their families in your thoughts and prayers.
Hi, I'm Cristina's sister Jackie and would like to thank everyone for their love and prayers. We will keep on praying now for Brenda, that she can recover quickly. I would also like information on Brenda, so if you can please contact me via email at nardonejc@yahoo.com. Once again, thank you and lets remain strong and in prayer.
ReplyDeleteHello, my thoughts and prayers to the families 🙏
DeleteSunday evening in the States. Brenda is still in hospital in Paris. The doctors will reevaluate Monday as to her coming to the States for further surgeries.
ReplyDeleteThank you for keeping us updated on Brenda. And thank you for your kind words about Cristina. I was literally left speechless when thinking of what to write, because I just can't do her justice. My prayers are with her family and friends.
ReplyDeleteBrenda is back in the States and being evaluated by doctors here.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have any new concrete information? I am Brenda's friend from Thunderbird, where we both completed our MBAs. Brenda is such a wonderful person, and has been my rock during some very testing times. If anyone has any info, please do let me me know by emailing milicapicuric@gmail.com.
ReplyDeleteAlso, some of her classmates would like to start a fund that can be used to either move her mother closer, or perhaps help pay for what I'm sure will be very excessive hospital bills. Darn it, I'll go upstate and pick up her mom myself!
Brenda, please recover soon! We love you so much!
rest in peace my old friend
ReplyDeleteSo very tragic indeed. My hear goes out to Cristina's family. May her soul rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteHow awful! The number of victims are just breaking my heart. My thoughts and prayers go out to them and their families. I'd suggest they look into www.deathletters.org. The grieving process is a long and painful one but knowing someone is going through the same thing gets it a little less difficult.
ReplyDelete