Many Estonians who encountered Lainemäe, including when visiting the Sahel nation, noted her "boundless positivity, energy, and inspiring attitude to life," which "were truly extraordinary," according to some of the many social media posts that followed her passing.

Maaleht writes that Eva Diallo Lainemäe's life story was a noteworthy one – over 50 years ago she relocated to Mali with her husband and their newborn.

She was not initially aware of this fact, Maaleht reports, but the husband was the son of a regional chieftain in a more outlying part of Mali. However, after they had had two more children, he sadly passed, leaving her alone in a faraway country.

Estonia was still under Soviet occupation at the time, and due to her marriage being considered a "betrayal" of the Soviet Union, Eva was barred from returning to Estonia, Maaleht goes on, citing Õhtuleht.

She was able to provide for her young family working primarily as a teacher and artist, and after Estonia regained its independence in 1991, Eva Diallo Lainemäe was made honorary consul of Estonia in Bamako, the Malian capital.

As such her home was often visited by Estonians, including writers and artists, who were visiting Mali and other African nations, and many reported finding a warm welcome every time.

This was also extended to the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) personnel deployed to Mali, with the UN and also in support of the French-led military mission there, even enabling them for instance to celebrate Christmas and New Year while away from home, Õhtuleht reported in 2016.

Long-term friend Aive Hiiepuu, who had first visited Eva when traveling in Mali over 20 years ago, told ERR News: "Eva was an extraordinary woman who built bridges between Estonia and Mali; between Africa and Estonia. She was the only Estonian who lived in Mali and kept Estonian traditions, including the language, alive there, and for decades."

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