Senegal’s Sadio Mane celebrates collecting the Player of the Tournament award following the AFCON final. [Reuters, Mohamed Abd El Ghany.]
Sadio Mane, the 2019 African Footballer of the Year, is giving back to his native village of Bambaly, Senegal, after winning everything with Liverpool both domestically and in Europe.
According to numerous sources in England and West Africa, Mane spent approximately 700,000 pounds (Sh100 million) to develop the Bambali region, which included the construction of a school, post office, hospital, and petrol station.
Mane, 30, made an appearance in Bambali last week, playing in a muddy local football match alongside former Senegalese Premier League stars El-Hadji Diouf and Papis Cisse.
Mane also visited the 455,000-pound (Sh65 million) hospital he helped build last year, which serves over 30 towns in the area.
Mane has erected a 250,000-pound (Sh36 million) public secondary school in Bambali to serve the village’s existing population of approximately 2000 people.
Mane is claimed to have spent about 700,000 pounds (Sh100 million) on transforming the Bambali region, which included the construction of a school, post office, hospital, and petrol station. [File]
While opening a new petrol station, the forward committed to create a post office.
Furthermore, Mane has given each household in the area a monthly €70 support package (Sh8,600) and gave €400 (Sh49,000) to the top students at Bambali High School. According to reports, laptops have also been supplied to the school.
The children in the hamlet have also received free sportswear, and the village has been outfitted with 4G internet.
Mane is no stranger to charity efforts.
Mane’s humanitarian approach stunned fans in 2019 when he explained to a Ghanaian outlet why he uses his money to aid underprivileged people in Senegal.
“Why should I have ten Ferraris, twenty diamond watches, or two planes? What will these objects accomplish for me and the world? Mane asked.
“I was hungry, and I had to work in the field; I survived hard times, played football barefooted, I did not have an education and many other things, but today with what I win thanks to football, I can help my people,” he went on to say.
“I built schools, a stadium, and we distribute clothing, shoes, and food to individuals living in great poverty. In addition, I provide 70 euros per month to everyone in a very poor region of Senegal, which helps their family economics. I do not need to show off luxurious cars, mansions, trips, or even planes. “I prefer that my people receive a little of what life has given me,” the Senegalese stated.