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This thirsty, hostile land made 2005-06 a particularly difficult year for grain production in Mali, compounded by the extremely harsh conditions in NEF's project area, resulting in a large displacement of people. Yet a total of 225,543 people in a band of 147 villages benefited from NEF's multifaceted, simultaneous, development strategy over the past year.
To counteract degraded land, sparse rainfall, poverty, and the encroaching desert, NEF employed environmental and natural resource conservation and management; micro-credit; community organization and civil society building, emphasizing the participation of women; literacy and public information; agricultural development and food security; and decentralization in consonance with governmental policy, including support of farmers, women, collectives and organizations.
Some of the numbers:
- On the agricultural front, 81 various kinds of projects, particularly water management and restoration/ protection of resources, were undertaken, including 23,299 plantings.
- Irrigation committees were formed in 63 villages; project exploration completed in 31 villages in 13 communes; and viable organizations developed in 11 villages in the project area and 10 more near the boundary.
- Newspapers with current events, health, micro-finance and other development information were distributed in 24 villages; and 489 radio programs broadcast about women in development, environment, decentralization, health, agriculture, child rearing, education, and children.
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Technical assistance with organization, finances and planning was provided to 29 collectives.
- Particular advances were made in credit: 3,143 people benefited and at least 4,819 women were given access.
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