Agence Evangélique de Développement du Mali

The team at Agence Evangélique de Développement du Mali (AEDM) are staunchly committed to securing the health, well-being and future potential of children in the Circle of Koro in Mali.

Mali is the second largest country in West Africa. It suffers extreme poverty, and because a large area of the country falls within the hostile environment of the Sahara Desert, there is an abundance of poor quality soil but precious little rainfall. Add to this the fact that 48% of the population is under the age of 15, and the challenges seem enormous.

AEDM’s vibrant programme ensures that children can grow and develop in an holistic way by addressing the conditions of their immediate environment. Their 3-fold programme is based on a simple premise: what child can live without food, education, and a strong family to look after them?

Children cannot grow and develop properly if they are hungry and their nutrition is poor. But the harsh climate makes it difficult to cultivate food, and so AEDM is addressing family nutrition through its food security programme. They work with children, parents and villagers by training them in good farming techniques such as combating soil erosion, fighting pests, making compost, and market gardening.
As a result, 6 villages were able to increase their crop yields by a quarter in just one year, meaning that 90% of children received more and better meals.

AEDM is one of the few organisations in the region working to improve educational opportunities. Their innovative Passerelle scheme is an education programme that provides a second chance for children who either never started school, or left school early.

Extreme poverty means that 40% of children aged 8 to 12 leave their homes in search of opportunities to earn money and support their families. They become vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking, and even violence or prostitution. Passerelle helps children catch up with their peers and return to mainstream school in the space of 9 months.
In the last 5 years, over 1723 children have been able to enrol back into school – over 1000 of those children were girls.
AEDM has provided shoes and clothing to over 50 children who could not afford even these basics. And they have also provided over 500 children with birth certificates and registration documents – without these, people are denied access to many vital services, including education. 

AEDM supports families to become stronger and more prosperous by focusing on developing the potential of women. A literacy programme helps build their skills, and a business training programme is helping over 600 women acquire the skills and finance needed to establish and run small businesses. This means they can play a fuller role in securing the health and well-being of their families, as well as building their own potential.

To ensure that all of the progress made is long-lasting, local people are trained to help deliver the Passerelle programme, and AEDM campaigns within communities about the importance of enrolling children – especially girls – in school. They also work to ensure that local governments will commit to taking responsibility for the education of children, and for maintaining and equipping schools.

Most importantly of all, AEDM helps children and families to understand their basic human rights so they are able to stand up for their rights, and challenge discrimination and inequality.