How we work in Mali
We seek to support vulnerable communities in Mali to be resilient and peaceful and for women and youth to enjoy their social, political and economic rights.
60 community-committees
were supported to lead conflict transformation initiatives
15.000 people
have been provided with life-saving humanitarian assistance
50 agricultural cooperatives
are strengthened in their adaptive capacity to climate change risks
3600 young women and men
have benefitted from accelerated learning
Mali remains in a deep and complex crisis of violence, insecurity, political and socio-economic instability and lack of basic social services that has serious human and humanitarian consequences for girls and boys, young people and women and men.
By February 2022, more than 360,000 people were internally displaced across Mali, 55% of whom are women. More than one in three people, are in need of humanitarian assistance.
We provide life-saving humanitarian assistance in the region of Mopti through cash/voucher transfers to meet urgent needs related to the food crisis during the lean season and provide agricultural inputs – seeds and agricultural tools - to households accompanied by training on agricultural techniques to increase and diversify livelihood creation. We work to secure access to water and strengthening water management and maintenance systems for those communities most in need, including through capacity building of water point management committees and local repair craftsmen and the construction/rehabilitation of water points.
Our goals in Mali
- To support marginalized and crisis-affected people, especially young people and women, to make their voices heard and build their capacity to meaningful participate and shape decision making processes that affect their lives, including in peacebuilding and humanitarian response.
- To support young people and women to strengthen their climate-sensitive skills through climate education and activism for climate justice and to strengthen adaptation and resilience to climate change.
- To strengthen water and sanitation infrastructure, as well as agricultural practices and improving hygiene practices protecting against infectious diseases.
- To support community-led natural resource management, as well as initiatives to protect the environment and promote peace and inclusive dialogue.
We work to empower women and young people in rural areas to be the instigators of social change and participate fully in democratic processes and engage in decision-making processes on peace and conflict. We use podcasts, sms and radios as tools to strengthen access to information even in the most remote rural areas, raise awareness and support advocacy efforts and activities led by women and youth to demand representation and meaningful participation.
Together with our partners we support the set-up of resource centres, which will provide training for youth and women to strengthen practices and use of technologies to strengthen adaptation and resilience to climate change.
Finally, we support and strengthen community-led peacebuilding and social cohesion initiative geared towards dialogue, reconciliation and mediation, in particular related to the access and management of natural resources which remains the main source of conflict in the project areas.
“ Women are people in their own right. Man sees them as competitors, but they have the same rights as boys, even though they often don't know. There is also the weight of tradition. Traditionally, women are women only when they are in a home. I want to convince them that they have the right to claim their rights. ”
Facts about Mali
- Mali is a country in West Africa with a population of 21.9 million. It is a former French colony that gained its independence in 1959.
- Despite the signing of a national peace agreement in 2015, signed with armed groups in northern Mali, conflict and intra/inter-community violence is increasing and has spread to the center of Mali.
- Agriculture and mining make up the country's main industries, while their biggest natural resources consist of gold, uranium and salt.
- The name Mali comes from the former Mali Empire and means 'the place where the king lives.'
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Contact
Maren Steller
Senior Peacebuilding AdvisorInternational ProgrammeE-mail:
