Mali

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Handicap International has been working in Mali since 1993 in the following areas:

• disability issues (e.g. creation of orthopaedic and rehabilitation centres, reform of the national rehabilitation system)
• rural development
• community health & health education
• income generating projects for people living with HIV
• support to disabled people's organisations

CONTEXT
Mali is Sahelian country with 9.79 million inhabitants, of which 49% are under 15. It is one of the poorest countries in the world. Since 1991, Mali has been resolutely moving towards democracy. The country has held free and democratic elections, and has introduced a number of reforms, the major one being decentralisation.

STRATEGY
As part of Mali’s decentralisation process, our strategy consists of supporting associations and local organisations in order to improve the living conditions of vulnerable groups and promote their citizenship. It applies the following principles:

• the projects form an integral part of the Malian decentralisation process, respecting the new prerogatives of the national and local authorities, and with a view to passing responsibility on to the local institutions
• each project will ensure that the needs of the most vulnerable populations, and in particular people with disabilities, are taken into consideration, whilst avoiding positive discrimination
• each project will ensure that local partner institutions take increasing responsibility, by avoiding all relations of dependence.

ACTIVITIES

Rural development project (Timbuktu)
Objectives: Promote the setting up of income-generating micro-projects (e.g. gardening) and assist the villages in the application of the new prerogatives resulting from the law on decentralisation.
Beneficiaries: 17,813 people and their families, thanks to 576 micro-projects.
Partners: communal authorities, group councils, state technical authorities.

Health project (Timbuktu)
Objectives: Promote access to quality health care by setting up community health centres and by participatory sessions on health issues (malaria, diarrhoea in children, AIDS). Encourage the communities to take responsibility for health actions themselves (e.g. draining of ponds, health committees).
Beneficiaries: 28,000 people living in 4 districts (Benguel, Madiakoye, Anikane and Bambara Maoudé), the community health centres, the nursing staff.
Partners: social health team, health centres.

Local urban development project (Timbuktu)
Objective: Train the municipal stakeholders in local development in the participatory programming approach and develop with them methodology for producing the Concerted Communal Development Plan and procedures for implementing it.
Beneficiaries: 18,000 people living in Timbuktu

Support to Disabled People's Organisations
Objectives: in collaboration with their federation, set up projects that correspond to their needs in terms of sources of revenue for their members, organisational support (e.g. equipping their offices), lobbying, etc.
Beneficiaries: 15 associations grouped within the Malian Federation of Associations for People with Disabilities, including more than 10,000 people.

Rehabilitation project
Objectives: In collaboration with the Ministry for Social Development, organise the Malian orthopaedic and appliancing system at national and regional level sustainably; facilitate access for disabled people to the 6 centres that we support in the country, by trying to find social security and cooperative health cover solutions.
Beneficiaries: 6 regional appliancing and orthopaedic centres and the Malian national centre of orthopaedics and appliancing.

CONTACTS
Address: Handicap International
Trokorobougou SEMA Rue 306 - Porte 1045
BP E2299, Bamako
MALI
Tel: (223) 292 13 51 or (223) 292 11 98
E-mail: hiansdir@afribone.net.ml