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Mali

Mali is a landlocked country situated in the dry belt of Sahel in West Africa. Named after the great empire of Mali, known as a great cultural centre, tourism was earlier one of the country's most significant sources of income, with famous attractions as Timbuktu, the Dogon Plateau, and the Great Mosque of Djenné.

However, in the later years, Mali has experienced political turmoil, including several military coups. Growing insecurity and instability, particularly in the north and eastern regions, have resulted in school closures and a high number of out-of-school children.

Almost half of the population is under 25 years old, which is a very high percentage. The government faces the challenge of providing sufficient employment opportunities and services to support the growing youth population.

Further, the population faces increased food insecurity, due to both the regular harsh conditions in the Sahel, but also due to climate change, such as shorter rainy seasons, sporadic and more intense rainfalls, resulting in both floods and droughts.

Our approach and focus areas

Re-enrollment of out-of-school children through Speed Schools, an accelerated education for children and adolescents; improved literacy and life skills for illiterate women; and our adolescent empowerment programme, Tamadash.
Promoting entrepreneurship and economic empowerment, through vocational training for youth and community-managed savings groups for women.
In promoting gender equality, we ensure that women, boys and girls have access to education, employment, and leadership opportunities, empowering them to become drivers of change in their communities.
We also integrate climate-smart practices into our initiatives, helping communities adapt to climate change while protecting the environment.
Additionally, we champion inclusion by ensuring that marginalised and vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, advocating for equal access to resources, opportunities, and platforms to amplify their voices.

For the 2024–2028 strategic period, we are partnering with local organizations and other private sector partners to strengthen the resilience of poor and marginalized communities in Timbuktu, Ségou, Sikasso, Koulikourou, Bougoni and Dioila regions.

Our Key Programmes

We have two main Programme interventions:

Inclusive Quality Education and Lifelong Learning
Income Generation and Job Creation

Speed School 1 for children

Speed School 1 offers children aged 8-12 a one-year accelerated learning that covers the first three years of primary education. First, they are taught to read and write in their local language, before continuing in French. After a final test, the learners graduate and enroll normally in grade 4 in formal school.

Speed School 2 for adolescents

Speed School 2 offers adolescents aged 13 to 14 - who have never attended school or dropped out early - a two-year accelerated learning course that makes them eligible to obtain the primary school leaving certificate and subsequently enroll in secondary school in 6th or 7th grade.

Tamadash - Adolescent Empowerment

Tamadash targets adolescents between 15 and 20 years to improve their life skills, literacy, and vocational skills. The goal is to strengthen their skills in areas that contribute to the wider society such as food security and adaptation to climate change to build community resilience and social cohesion.

Vocational Training for youth

In response to the high youth unemployment rates, we implement a vocational training programme for 15-25-year-olds. Trades: food production, climate smart agriculture, value chain development, access to water, renewable energy, and recycling of plastic for school benches.

Active Literacy for women

Active Literacy allows women to follow a two-year curriculum that enables them to acquire academic skills and discuss themes related to citizenship, early marriage, the importance of education, the health of children, and income-generating activities.

Community Managed Savings Groups (CMSG)

Community Managed Savings Groups (CMSG) Programme strengthens financial inclusion by enabling community members, especially women and youth, to save, access credit, and invest in income-generating activities as small trade, breeding and climate-smart agriculture.

Country Office Mali

Strømme Foundation Mali
BP : 3203 - NIAMAKORO, CITE UNICEF
Rue : N° 84 Porte 152
Bamako, Mali

Telephone: +223 20 20 38 84/91
E-mail: mali@stromme.org

Country Director Mali

Rokiatou Dembélé

Country Director Mali

+223 20 22 38 84 (Office) +223 93 37 29 53 (Mobile)

rokiatou.dembele(at)stromme.org

Our Partnerships

These partnerships amplify our impact, ensuring that resources are used effectively and efficiently to drive sustainable change. Transparency, accountability, and community ownership are at the core of everything we do.

We invite like-minded partners to join us in this transformative journey, whether through strategic collaborations, resource sharing, or volunteer efforts to build a more inclusive, resilient, and prosperous future for Mali.

Our Partners