Each morning the Mali-Folkecenter office comes to life with the swishing fans, the clicking keyboards and animated discussions. There is a constant flow of people coming or going from meetings, field visits, and conferences. Reports are getting written, networks strengthened, and strategies established. The atmosphere is busy, hot, and friendly.

The work that is being done is moving MFC and its partners forward. In the villages programs are being implemented, that are helping improve the livelihoods of residents. In the cities, policies are being developed and concepts shared. At the heart of these activities is a driving principle – appropriate solutions for an eco-development.

 This concept is embedded into all MFC’s projects and activities. It enables community growth and sustainable development. This approach recognizes the capacities and responsibilities of every community for their own welfare. Local realities are tied together in a complex web of interdependence and in this way local solutions breed national and even global impacts.

• Youth & Desertification – Mamadou Bagayoko

• Mondialogo –
  Diakalia Traore

• Siemenpuu Partnership - Johanna Togola

• Bio-Fuel in Mali –
  Allison Bryan

Mali-Folkecenter participated in the international conference on ‘Youth and Desertification’ held in Bamako in September 2006. The main focus of the conference was how to effectively engage youth in the fight against desertification. The conference had three central themes: Economic Opportunity, Education & Awareness Raising, and Social Implications of Desertification on Young People. Strong links where drawn between the lack of economic opportunities for youth and the proliferation of desertification.

 Without viable alternatives, youth engage in activities detrimental to the environment in an attempt to generate income to survive. Woodcutting is one of these activities that both threatens the environment and feeds desertification. Unemployment and environmental deterioration even bring some youth to resort to illegal immigrations.

 Mali-Folkecenter contributed to the meeting by presenting its activities related to fighting desertification, poverty and environmental degradation. Namely, it presented on the benefits of the jatropha plant and income generating activities in rural women’s groups.

The jatropha plant helps fight desertification as it can revitalize land and protects crops against erosion. MFC’s four jatropha-based projects demonstrate what a promising tool jatropha can be to fight desertification. Furthermore Jatropha-based bio-fuel programs can also create jobs for youth and provide alternatives to wood burning or the use of fossil fuels.

 The Sinsibere Program works with groups of women in rural communities to promote environmental preservation and poverty alleviation. The program targets woodcutting and finding alternatives to this environmentally unsound practice. By researching and helping implement alternative income generating activities in participating villages, MFC has been able to have a direct positive impact on the environmental.

 MFC was able to give conference participants some concrete examples of things happening on the ground to help fight desertification. Through its presentation it demonstrated that desertification touches the lives not only of people in the north but also of people in the south in a significant way. This exchange of ideas and recognition of shared problems will help promote cooperation and a solution based approach to desertification.

Mali-Folkecenter in collaboration with IRES (Initiative for Regenerative Energy in Saxony) received the first place prize in the contest Mondialogo 2004/2005 initiated and organized by Daimler Chrysler and UNESCO in partnership with Mercedes. ‘Mondialogo Engineering Award’ engages students, universities, NGOs from developing countries in partnership with ones from developed countries. These actors compete to apply their knowledge and know-how in order to sustainability improve living conditions in developing countries.

 As the competition progressed it drew the attention of other stakeholders in Germany. Solar World, a solar panel producing company from Freiberg, donated six 210 Watt solar panels and covered the transportation costs of materials to Mali. Together eight German volunteers and Mali-Folkecenter’s team installed two solar lighting power systems in health care centres, two lighting and refrigeration solar systems, and 2 battery charge stations in three Malian villages. The project sites are the villages of Wola and Kola in the district of Bougouni, and Bougoula in the district of Kati.

 The project will have several positive impacts on the communities involved. Electricity will allow for better working conditions and healthcare centres to remain open in the evenings, thereby increasing the number of people who will be able to  visit. Refrigeration will keep vaccines usable longer and increase immunization rates. These factors will help improve public health and have positive effects on critical issues such as infant (up to one year) and pregnancy related mortality rates. In a similarly positive way, battery charge stations will provide income to families and help meet basic energy needs, such as access to information (TV, radio, etc…). People will be trained to maintain these systems, creating jobs and ensuring the longevity of the project. This will all be done in an environmentally conscious way that promotes photovoltaic technology.