The Mali nonuplets are five today!
Brothers Mohammed VI, Elhadji, Oumar and Bah and sisters Kadidia, Fatouma, Hawa, Adama and Oumou, who together hold the record for most children delivered at a single birth to survive, are happy, healthy and getting ready to start school.
They’ll be marking the day quietly at home alongside their loving parents Halima Cissé and Abdelkader Arby and big sister Arby, seven.
These sweet new pictures, shared with us by the parents, show just how much they’ve all grown up.
Posing all together or in groups of boys and girls, the children look adorable in their matching outfits, and their personalities shine through.
In some, Halima sits proudly holding up the family’s Guinness World Records certificate. And as a mum of 10 beautiful children, she sure has a lot to be proud of.
From left: Bah, Oumar, Elhadji, Mohammed VI, Fatouma, Adama, Hawa, Oumou, and Kadidia
She said: “The children are doing very well, Alhamdulillah. They are healthy, active, and full of joy. They continue to grow beautifully, and we are very grateful.”
She added: “They will begin school soon, which is an important and exciting step for them. As parents, we are focusing on their education while making sure they continue to enjoy their childhood. This new stage is a big change for the family.”
Anyone with siblings will know it can be tough at times to get along. Now imagine having to share all your toys and your parents’ attention with this many of them.
But Halima, 30, says her nonuplets love each other and their big sister deeply.
She said: “The children get along very well with each other and with their big sister. They share a strong bond and spend most of their time playing together. Like all siblings, they sometimes have small disagreements, but they are very united and caring towards one another.”
“Each child has a unique personality,” she added. “Some are more energetic and expressive, while others are calmer and more observant. It is wonderful to see how different they are, yet how connected they remain.”
The Mali nonuplets were born on 4 May 2021 in Morocco and spent 19 months there before they could finally go home.
Originally, doctors believed Halima was carrying seven babies, but after she and Abdelkader were flown out to Morocco for care at a specialist clinic, they found out she was actually pregnant with nine little ones.
The five girls and four boys were born prematurely via C-section at a gestational age of 30 weeks. A ‘normal’ pregnancy lasts around 40 weeks.
They each weighed between 0.5-1 kg (1.1-2.2 lb).
Their births, of course, made headlines around the world, and people continue to follow their story as they grow.
The nonuplets also share the overall title of most children delivered at a single birth with the nine babies born to Geraldine Brodrick (Australia) in 1971, although tragically none of those children survived.
Halima said: “We would also like to highlight how proud we are to represent Mali and Africa. It is a great honour for our family, and we are thankful for the continued support from around the world.”
