MRDF is working in Mali through a partner organisation called 
Jeunesse et Développement (J&D)

J&D is currently active in 30 villages in a district called Yanfolila, implementing a number of programmes including literacy, micro-credit schemes and community-based health care.  J&D is aiming to continue this work into 69 villages - reaching 65,000 people (directly and indirectly) - by 2010

The UN Human Poverty Index ranks Mali as 107th of 108 countries (only Niger is poorer).  This index ranks countries according to likelihood of living past the age of 40 (30%), being literate (24%), having access to clean water (50%) and of children underweight for their age between 0 and 5 years (33%).

Everyday life is hard for people in Mali - with poor transportation, without electricity, running water or access to services such as health care and schooling.  The intense heat makes everything more difficult, whilst people also have to cope with frequent ill health and diseases, especially the young.

Women rise at dawn to fetch water, clean dishes from the night before, clean the house and wash the children (this can't be done after the sun goes down as there is no light).  They will then prepare food for the morning - often porridge of millet or other cereal, and water.  Next it will be time to head out to the fields to work, if it is the agricultural season, or to do other income-generating activities such as crafts/selling goods at the market etc., whatever they can do.  After that, they will return home and prepare the evening meal- this requires collecting wood, building a fire and preparing food, which takes a lot longer than it would in the UK - especially to boil a big pan of water on the fire.  Where cereals have to be pounded by hand or water fetched, women may gather and do this together.  Life is very labour-intensive and diets are often lacking in enough nutrition to protect from illness or to keep strength levels up.  This is especially damaging for pregnant mothers and young children.  The family will eat together, from one big tray or plate and then, once it is dark, it is time for bed.  The men may sit up later talking and sharing a pot of strong, bittersweet tea.

Generally, livelihoods in Mali depend on land, livestock and international markets for cotton; made difficult by low levels of literacy, poor soil fertility, high temperatures and erratic rainfall.  These affect a household's ability to get food - low crop yields and low income from cotton or agricultural produce.

Things are changing in Mali.  School enrolment rates are increasing, as are levels of immunisation and household income.  The community-based health care and training programmes run by organisations like J&D are also making a real difference.  For example, J&D is helping to reduce the incidence of malnutrition and infant deaths from diarrhoea in the communities it works in.

To read more about the project click here



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