The Near East Foundation (NEF) has been active Douentza, located in Mali’s 5th District, on the edge of the Sahel, since 1984. As with the rest of the Sahel in the mid- 1980s, Mali was hit by a severe drought. Most aid and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) launched relief programs. Since the economy of the area is based on extensive animal husbandry, NEF put in place an emergency livestock replacement program. Once the emergency was past, the real challenge began: the struggle against poverty and underdevelopment. The Near East Foundation’s activities were therefore restructured with a new emphasis on medium and long-term development.

The Near East Foundation’s program is firmly based on this vision: rural people have the right to generate their own initiatives, to realize their own self-improvement, and to satisfy their basic needs without prejudicing the development options of future generations. The Near East Foundation and its partner agencies believe that lasting development depends on well prepared citizens exercising these rights in the context of an enabling civil society.

A multi-disciplinary team of 45 Malian field staff works in close cooperation with 124 villages to reach over 120,000 people. The objectives pursued by NEF are to: (1) improve and maintain agricultural-pastoral production systems; (2) create and sustain local institutions for self-improvement; (3) contribute to the promotion of rights and duties of people and groups to participate in the process of decentralization and democratization; (4) promote income-generating activities; and (5) encourage the participation of women in the development process.

Giving Women Credit. The Near East Foundation’s work with women's credit, modeled on the Grameen Bank system and funded by the National Bank for Agricultural Development, has been enthusiastically received by village women. Last year, approximately 3,000 women received US$220,000. Bringing local communities to the banks not only gives them access to more credit, but also helps them understand how the credit system works and enables them to manage on their own when NEF withdraws from this activity.

Getting the Word Out. On the information front, a rural radio station in Douentza broadcasts information to complement the several language newspapers published by NEF. "DAANDE DUWANSA" (Voice of Douentza) supports, in a very tangible way, the Malian national policy of democratization and decentralization.

Protecting the Forest. A private association, Waldé Kelka, created by NEF and grouping 13 villages bordering the Boré Forest, has been formally recognized by the Malian Government. Under an agreement between this association and relevant government technical officials, some level of responsibility will be delegated to local groups within the concerned area. In addition to fully supporting this process, NEF is considering, along with Waldé Kelka officials, the best means to elaborate and execute a management plan for forestry resources.

Less Water; More Rice. The Tarabé/Korombana Development Program works in the Niger River flood plain to help farmers increase their yields through water control programs. The Near East Foundation helps to control flooding of rice fields by erecting concrete dams and sluice gates on the river and assisting farmers to build irrigation plots. With special attention to the needs of women and young people, NEF has assisted village associations in this region with organization of cereal banks and literacy training programs.

Exercising New Rights. Coordinated by a lawyer on NEF's staff, the Democracy and Individual Rights Program complements and reinforces the national policy to delegate authority to local associations for natural resource management. Active in 159 villages and reaching over 50,000 people, work in democracy and participation is thoroughly integrated into other components of NEF's outreach program. A gamut of communication tools are employed to bring relevant messages to the village level: radio, theater, videos, pamphlets, and newspapers.