Capital: Bamako
Area: 1,240,140 km²
Population: 12.3 million (July 2005)
Ethnic groups: Bambara, Tuareg, Dogon, Songhaï, Senoufou, and Fulani
Official language(s): French
Religion(s): Muslim, traditional African beliefs, and Christian
Currency: 1 CFA franc = 100 centimes

SOS Children's Villages' activities in the country

During a meeting between Mali's interior minister and representatives from the French SOS Children's Village association in 1984, SOS-Kinderdorf International was able to form first contacts with Mali and find out whether they were interested in building an SOS Children's Village there. A government agreement was signed in 1985 and SOS-Kinderdorf International was able to start realising Hermann Gmeiner's idea here. In August 1987, the first SOS Children's Village children and their mothers were able to move into the first SOS Children's Village, which is situated in Sanankoroba, 30 km from the capital, Bamako.

Because the country is very poor and the state schools are inadequate, an SOS Kindergarten was added in October 1988 and an SOS Hermann Gmeiner School in October 1997. The first SOS Youth Facility was able to open its doors in July 1996. It is in Bamako, in the Torokorobougou district. Here the SOS youths are taught how to live on their own and they are able to complete their education at one of the schools here or learn a trade. Whilst they are here, SOS-Kinderdorf International is still caring for them.

The need for care for orphaned and abandoned children in the country was still very great and so SOS-Kinderdorf International started construction on a second SOS Children's Village in June 1994. It is situated in Sévaré, in the Socoura district, about 20 km from the town Mopti.

As the region around Sanankoroba is marked with grinding poverty and the risk of child abandonment, is high, SOS Children’s Villages Mali decided to implement family strengthening programmes. The aim of these programmes is to enable children who are at risk of losing the care of their family to grow within a caring family environment. To achieve this, SOS Children’s Villages Mali works directly with families and communities to empower them to effectively protect and care for their children, in cooperation with local authorities and other service providers.

Due to the long lasting drought and locust invasion, Mali faced poor crop yields and thus suffered of famine. The SOS Children’s Village Socoura reacted immediately with an emergency relief project and distributed basic foodstuff and other relief goods. The programme lasted from spring to summer 2005.

Education is the best way to overcome poverty! For this reason SOS Children’s Villages Mali decided to build a school in the vicinity of the SOS Children’s Village Socoura. Children (especially girls) of indigent families as well as SOS children will have the opportunity to obtain good education. The annexed canteen provides a balanced meal.
 

In the course of the planned third SOS Children’s Village in Kita, another Family Strengthening Programme was initiated at this location.

At present there are two SOS Children's Villages in Mali, one SOS Youth Facility, two SOS Kindergartens, one SOS Hermann Gmeiner School, and four SOS Social Centres (Family Strengthening Programmes). A SOS Hermann-Gmeiner School is under construction and a third SOS Children’s Village is planned.

Contact:
Association des Villages d'Enfants SOS du Mali
B.P. 495
Quartier Torokorobougou
Bamako
Mali
tel. +223-2 28 96 63
fax +223-2 28 32 88