26,566 est. people served thanks to 13,790 supporters like you.

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September Campaign 2020

This September, we can change the course of 2020 for families in rural Mali.

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Clean water for 20,000 people.
In one of the harshest places on Earth.
In one of the hardest years in history.

In the West African country of Mali, the threat of COVID-19, a recently-destabilized government, and an escalating climate crisis have made the need for clean water more urgent than ever.

Together, we can transform the future for families who’ve endured life without clean water for too long.

“We’ve heard some poignant stories: Entire villages having disappeared. We’ve seen people go blind digging wells. People have died going out in search of water. It’s been very difficult for women.”

– Fatou Bintou Gariko

WASH Specialist, World Vision Mali

It’s a region known for extremes: relentless heat, no escape from the sun, and water sources that are centuries old.

But for families in rural Mali,
this ancient problem has an incredibly modern solution.

For women and girls in rural Mali, collecting dirty water is tedious, time-consuming, and physically demanding.

“You use all your strength to pull water from the well. Our hands are hard like stone from that rope.”

Communities that receive clean water in rural Mali get hand pumps and tap stands right outside their homes. What used to take hours now takes minutes.

800-year-old holes in the ground provide families with contaminated water. And there’s rarely enough to go around.

“In the past, we spent all day getting water from the open well. Sometimes we didn’t even get water.”

The blistering sun becomes an infinite source of power as solar-powered pumps effortlessly draw cool, clean water from deep underground.

Since less than 30% of the rural population has access to sanitation services, families have no opportunity to protect themselves from diarrhea, disease, and COVID-19. As a result, Mali has a high rate of infectious disease and one of the world's highest infant mortality rates.

“We’ve been using those wells for hundreds of years. We use them for everything. It’s not safe.”

Unlimited access to clean water gives families an opportunity to focus on their health. Kids spend more time learning. Parents earn extra income.

Health problems prevent families from working, earning income, and attending school.

It’s part of the reason that Mali is currently 184 out of 189 on the United Nations’ Human Development Index (a ranking based on life expectancy, education, and income).

With income and education, the future begins to look very different from the past.

With your support, we’re investing in two local partners who refuse to back down.

Working in Mali requires expertise and long-standing local leadership. We’re proud to support two organizations with years of experience in delivering water, sanitation, and hygiene to communities in need.

Helvetas

Partner Since

2019

Projects Funded

57

People Served

22,600

“Only 57% of the communities have access to clean water. This low rate requires immediate action to be taken. With my skills, I am contributing to clean water supply for local populations.”

“I have decided to do this job because I'm a woman. As a woman, I can easily persuade people, especially women in rural areas, to adopt the best hygiene and sanitation practices for their families.”

Dioro Dicko

Project Manager

Niamaly Zeinabou

Implementing Partner

World Vision

Partner Since

2014

Projects Funded

594

People Served

298,078

“When I started working with World Vision, everything changed for me. I saw the difference our work makes in the lives of others, and it changed how I approach my work. Seeing the impact of my work is a strong motivator and encourages me to continue on this path.”

“My parents come from a village, and during vacations, I would go see them. I saw how difficult it was to access water there, and women had to walk very far uphill. It’s exhausting. There were almost no toilets, either. That’s what pushed me to work in community development, to serve my country and the children who experience today what I did before. It’s my passion to help them.”

Mamane Amadou

WASH Senior Manager

Fatou Bintou Gariko

WASH Specialist

Helvetas (Sikasso region)

World Vision (Koulikoro & Segou regions)

Ensuring that every family has access to clean water near home.

From hand pumps to solar-powered piped systems, our local partners are delivering solutions that meet the needs of communities big and small.

Educating communities about the power of sanitation and hygiene.

Both local partners create Community-Led Total Sanitation programs to reinforce behavior change around handwashing and bathroom use to keep families healthy for years to come.

Serving as frontline workers in times of crisis and insecurity.

Though Mali has become an increasingly difficult place to implement projects, both of our local partners have decades of experience in navigating complex security environments.

Empowering communities to take ownership of their own futures.

Communities participate in project implementation and receive training from our partners so they can take over operation, maintenance, and repair of their water projects.

MamineTeninBintou

Mamine started hand-crafting clothing and making custom wedding attire more than 50 years ago.

For decades, she was spending so much time collecting dirty water that she had to do all of her sewing at night. It was her only free time.

But all of that changed when her community got clean water. For the first time ever, Mamine could spend the day focusing on her work. Now, nighttime is a time for rest.

Tenin used to worry constantly about her kids getting sick. All four of her children were suffering from diarrhea and stomach pain.

But that was one of the first things to change when her community got access to clean water.

Today, Tenin sells mangoes during the day and uses the money to buy soap and food for her family. Everyone is healthy. “This water has changed our life.”

“You could go at 5:00am and wait until 8:00am,” Bintou told us. “It’s why many children went to school without a bath or eating breakfast.”

That was before. Today, with a tap stand outside her home, life looks very different for Bintou’s family.

“With the tap, we have time to dress our hair, make pots, and sell things like mangoes. Water made everything easier.”

26,566 est. people served

Your one-time donation or first monthly donation will fund clean water for families in Mali.

Join 2,460 other fundraisers who are raising money for the September Campaign.

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Note: If our work in Mali is interrupted due to insecurity, we will put your funds to work in another country and update you accordingly.