Feb 1999 - Christian Aid asked Cambridge allotment holders to grow vegetables in pots for display garden at Hampton Court Flower Show

July 1999 - visit by Youssouff Konate (C.Aid Linking Officer from Bamako, Mali) and Siramory Diarra (market gardener from Makano village, Mali) to Trumpington Allotments, Cambridge. Agreement that YK ask Wedie village, Mali, if they would like to link with Cambridge allotment holders.

July 1999 - Time Line Garden at Hampton Court publicises OTL idea of linking communities on the Meridian line, and highlights the Debt issue

October 1999 - visit by Dave Fox (Cambridge Allotments Network) to Wedie village, Dogon region, Mali. Exchange of gifts, the first letters from Cambridge gardeners and a message from Wedie. The Dogon is at the end of the rainy season - the village dam is full, crop planting proceeds apace. The growing season is limited because water for irrigation will only last for a few months.

January 2000- illustrated talk at Friends Meeting House, Cambridge, and exchange of ideas for furthering the link.

February 2000 - arrangement between Cambridge Allotments Network and Unwins Seeds of Histon, Cambridge, to distribute seed of fast-growing vegetable varieties to gardeners in both communities.

March 2000 - letters and drawings from Wedie schoolchildren received in Cambridge

April 2000 - visit by Sylvestre Timbeley of Actions de Promotions Humaine, Bandiagara, Dogon region, Mali to Cambridge. Photographs from Wedie, now in the dry and hot season, are received and the need for more letters discussed. Sample of Unwins seed taken to Mali.

June 2000 - letters from Dicko Malan Djiguiba of CATAM replying for Wedie to the first letters from Cambridge.

August 2000 - news that Sylvestre Tembely has visited Wedie with the seed, and more is requested. Wédié has established a committee of nine people to be responsible for the OTL link and letters from each member are received in Cambridge, along with a package of seed of Malian crops.

August 2000 - large gift of Unwins seeds, and letter, sent to Wédié.

December 2000 - one reply posted to Dicko Malan Djiguiba.

January 2001 - Letter from Wédié and postcard and photographs from Wédié from ST received.

January 2001 - replies to Dicko Malan Djiguiba and the Wédié committees' letters written. These are taken to Mali, along with gifts including photo albums with annotated images of Cambridge,  by Richard Sylvester, Christian Aid's OTL linking officer in London.

February 2001- illustrated talk to Trumpington Horticultural Society, large feature in Cambridge Evening News.

June 2001 - visit by Youssouff Konate to Trumpington, Cambridge. Youssouff brought a report from Sylvestre Tembely of APH on the Unwins seeds.

August 2001 - Unwins select more seeds for Wédié, based on information about which crops from the previous gift succeeded.

September 2001 - large gift of Unwins seeds, and letter, sent to Wédié.

What's next...