Mali Program

The Mali program is a water, sanitation and hygiene program carried out by an experienced provider (Water Aid) to communities throughout Mali. The aims are:

1. Work with local partners to increase access to safe water and reduce incidences of water-bourne diseases for over 17,000 people through construction and rehabilitation of modern water points. In addition, alternative water sources such as rainwater harvesting systems which make water available through the whole year and small dams which replenish water tables will be made available.
2. Improve access to adequate sanitation. Communities will be encouraged to install simple latrines and will be taught good hygiene practices. Around 44,000 people may be affected.
3. Eighteen schools will be provided with improved sanitation facilities. This will reach 5,200 children.
4. There will be training in maintenance of facilities, and training in general to allow people to learn how to construct such facilities.
5. Influence the local government to spend more money on water and sanitation.

Implementation

Water Aid, a large international charity will be undertaking the Mali program. Water Aid has been in business since 1981, and has since created thousands of water services, sanitation equipment and provided training in maintenance and construction of these systems as well as provided advocacy work to millions of people. Water Aid also empowers the poor to demand their rights to water and have trained staff to appropriate technologies for disabled people.

Example

Here is an example of one of the programs we are supporting in Mali through Water Aid. For more examples, visit this link.

Location: Sanankoro, in the commune of Tianfala

Partner: AMEPPE

Background: Micro dam project
The main sources of income in this village are fishing, farming, trading and cattle raising. Before WaterAid built the micro dam and wells the community struggled to find a reliable source of water and often had to travel 1.5 km to get water from open wells. Two new water points have been constructed and the third is being built.

The micro dam aims to replenish the water table as well as the underground aquifers, while at the same time providing a source of water to allow irrigation of crops. It is easier for us to measure the impact of the micro dam on the water table because measuring any changes in the aquifers is very expensive.

This community decided to grow rice from the water from the micro dam and in the first year the crop yield was very good but this year (2009) they decided to plant rice on both sides of the dam which was a mistake. It meant they had to release the water earlier than expected which meant that when we got there it was dry.

Purpose

The purpose of the project is to tackle the poverty in Mali and help people on some path to development. It is well known that once countries are on the first foot of the development ladder so to speak then they can keep going. Getting them on that step just requires a little push, and then they will keep developing. Sponsoring the Mali program is about getting people on that first step, and so it is about poor communities getting a lot for the investment you make in supporting them and donating to them.

The Need

People in developing countries often lack clean water sources, are not hygienic and lack sanitation. There is often no water at all for several miles and often this water is dirty and contaminated with parasites and illnesses. The ill health affects which come from dirty can cause diarrhoea, stomach cramps, malnutrition and weaken defences against the crucial malaria and HIV/AIDS illnesses which are prominent in the region. Typhoid, cholera, and dysentery and guinea worm are other examples of illnesses. These illness not only stop people working, going to school and causing pain but they kill many more young children before the age of 5 than happens in the developed world. They also kill people younger so children are left without parents and people in work die off leaving projects unfinished, and expertise gaps.

Furthermore people don't go to school because they spend their days fetching water, women don't have an equal lifestyle to men for the same reason causing gender inequality which itself is a key issue for example because women arn't as effective at promoting family planning, contraception, and reading as they would be if they had more say in matters. Teachers don't come to schools because there is no sanitation and water, and girls don't come to school as much because there is not the dignity of having a lavatory.

Clean water and sanitation

1. Improves nutrition – clean water and sanitation stop parasites and common infectious diseases which compete for food enabling a huge reduction in illness which enables increases in the economy through more people being able to work, skilled people not dying half way through important structural projects like road building. It means parents can live longer to pass on technological skills such as farming skills to their children, it means parents don’t die leaving children to look after the family. It means people are well enough to go to school. Malnutrition causes 64% of illness worldwide so it is a huge problem and a huge problem you can tackle if you support improved water and sanitation projects.
2. Reduces mortality rates and enhances peoples lives – by reducing water related diseases you can help save lives and provide people with one of the most fundamental human rights.
3. Offers economic benefits – health related costs avoided by providing clean water and sanitation amount to $7.3 billion per year. Time savings amount to $64 billion from reducing things like the time it takes to collect water every day which can be many hours for children and women.
4. Is both cost effective and sustainable – water and sanitation top the list of the most cost effective interventions because it costs only £25 to provide clean water to a family of four for life!
5. Is community focused – the communities are directly involved in the development process bringing people together and helping them work and support each other giving women in particular more equal responsibility and power as men.
6. Helps the Millennium Development Goals – which are the international goals to try and reduce poverty drastically by 2015. They are a set of known strategies for reducing poverty which you can support if you donate to this program. The governments are falling behind, but you can help.

Millennium Development Goals

Water and sanitation contribute to at least 5 of the 8 Millennium Development Goals. The goals and how water and sanitation help achieve them is shown below.

1. End Hunger – By reducing the number of parasites in the body, clean water and sanitation significantly improve nutritional intake. Nutritional status is the defining measure of hunger worldwide. By improving nutrition, we start to end hunger. Water and sanitation really help end world hunger.
2. Universal Education – By reducing the need for children to spend hours fetching water, children can attend school. Also girls are encouraged to go to school because of the available of toilet facilities. Water and sanitation really help end improve education.
3. Gender Equality - is improved because women have responsibility, control and status over the Water Wells and so gain more say in the community
4. Child Health – is improved because the nutritional health of the children is improved, and nutrition is a key factor in the healthy development of children under five.
5. Maternal Health – Maternal health is also improved through the nutrition of the mother. The mother who is healthy produces a healthier offspring.