Who are you trying to help? What issue are you trying to address?

AFEM has since 2007 been fighting for the advancement of women through improving their living conditions.

Malian women are called to play an important role in the projects, if we want to reach real development – “development, seen only in males, results in a non-development”.

The objective of this project is to alleviate the financial, economic and social issues that women are daily facing, through the establishment of a framework of solidarity assistance, material and financial support.

What is your project and how will it help?

The project aims to develop income-generating activities for the women in this organization through soap-making, strengthening their management skills and education in democratic governance.

They receive management training and income, they are highly motivated to pursue such activities in order to survive, pay tuition for their children, their care and feeding costs of the fund of the association. Our project also strives to inform and educate women on democratic governance (rights and duties of girls, roles and status of women in decentralization, the electoral code, the transparency in governance).

Faced with increasing difficulties, women of the Massigui neighborhoods have formed an association of support and solidarity where members meet weekly or every 2 weeks to spare, collecting 250 to 500 CFA francs per person.
These funds are given back to a member for the initiation of income generating activity.

Despite these successful clusters, these different associations are faced with insufficient funding (they often have no access to bank credit) and skills in managing the activities of their members.Thus in the diagnosis of these various associations, it emerged the following priority needs that AFEM aims to support:

- The establishment of a credit fund for all associations and their members.

How can other people partner with you on your project?

Through donations.

Please detail the resources that you need.

Equipment: 1,425,000 FCFA
raw materials: 801,000 FCFA
Project support: 1,187,500 FCFA
Fresh raw training: 475,000 FCFA
Operating costs 5%: 194,425 FCFA

Total contribution requested: = 4,082,925 FCFA —> US $ 8,230