In 2013, much of Mali was controlled by armed insurgents. With French military and American intelligence and other support, Mali’s government reestablished formal control of the country. French troop sare still stationed there.
And militant groups are still active.
Such insurgencies rely on the recruitment of soldiers,especially young men who view armed conflict as a source of income as much as an ideological or political struggle. Militant groups often pay many times what people can earn in the agricultural sector, which dominates Mali and other developing countries.
In the long-term, this must be countered by increased agricultural in comes, better governance and enhanced social ties that make recruiters from outside less attractive.
World Neighbors, an NGO based in Oklahoma City, is implementing a multi-faceted program in Tominian Cercle within the Segou Region in central Mali. As a semi-arid region, the communities of the Segou region have limited livelihood options. The majority of residents are nomadic pastoralists and semi-sedentary farmers.
The World Neighbors program, started in 2007, is being implemented in partnership with a local community based organization, the Union of Farmers in Tominian District (UACT). It covers 13 villages in 6 communes within the Tominian District.
Key goals include:
*Strengthening organizational and management capacities of village associations and the UACT
*Promoting literacy with a focus on women
*Increasing food security and child nutrition by enhancing environmental conservation and promoting the adoption of improved farming techniques
*Expanding sources of revenue to reduce household poverty
*Enhancing access to agricultural credit for farming equipment and inputs
The last initiative is a credit and savings program World Neighbors uses in nearly all its programs around the world. Participants become highly dependent on one another to generate capital for improved farming implements, more productive livestock, home businesses,payments for childrens’ education and more. In addition to catalyzing economic development, these groups enhance community solidarity and weaken the appeal of outside groups that may attempt to recruit members.
World Neighbors runs similar programs in Burkina Faso.