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Information and Facts About Mali — World Vision

Overview

The Republic of Mali is a landlocked country surrounded by Senegal, Mauritania, Algeria, Niger, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Ivory Coast. The second largest country in Africa, Mali is located in the transitional zone between the Sahara to the north and tropical Africa to the south. The climate ranges from subtropical to arid, with two dominant seasons–one wet and one dry. Natural resources are gold, phosphates, salt, limestone, uranium, and hydropower. Mali is classified as one of the five least developed countries in the world.

The country is plagued by frequent drought and insufficient food supplies, and 64 percent of the people live below the poverty line. Heavily dependent on foreign aid, Mali’s economy also is vulnerable to fluctuations in world prices for cotton, the country’s main export. Other crops include rice, corn, vegetables, and peanuts. In 2004 and 2005, locusts severely damaged Mali’s crop production, threatening an estimated 10 percent of the population with starvation. Experts predict that it will take up to three years to eradicate the threat of locusts–a ton of which have the ability to consume as much food in one day as 2,500 people.

Adult illiteracy in Mali is among the highest in the world. Infant and child mortality rates also are high. Nearly half of all children suffer from chronic malnutrition. Thousands of children also lack access to health care, safe water, education, and a stable food supply, and many–some even as young as 12 to15 years of age–are in arranged marriages. Typhoid fever and malaria continue to pose a high risk, and more than 140,000 people are suffering from HIV/AIDS.


 
Country Statistics 
Population13.5 million
Land Mass 471,042 sq. miles
Life Expectancy49 years
Infant Mortality Rate120 / 1,000
Literacy Rate19%
School Enrollment39%
Access to Safe Water50%
Average Annual Income (GNI per capita)US$380
 
 
World Vision’s Work

World Vision began working in Mali in 1975 after a survey team found a great need for water and agricultural development. A literacy campaign also was launched. In 1976 World Vision provided materials to dig 10 freshwater wells, establishing a steady source of clean, safe water as well as offering lifesaving help to people suffering the effects of a severe drought.

With the support of generous donors, World Vision is partnering with families throughout Mali to build brighter futures filled with hope for their children. Currently, U.S. donors sponsor more than 6,000 boys and girls, who are receiving the benefits of child sponsorship, and fund three area development programs (ADPs) that focus on the following:
  • Developing the primary school infrastructure to increase attendance rates
  • Promoting community literacy in local languages
  • Providing school uniforms and supplies to make learning more accessible to all children
  • Building the health infrastructure to bring health care closer to children and their families
  • Conducting child immunization campaigns and teaching mothers about nutrition and proper hygiene
  • Ensuring that communities have access to clean, safe water, thereby reducing the incidence of diseases
  • Introducing farmers to new agricultural techniques and providing seeds to increase crop yields
  • Helping families launch small businesses to increase income and better provide for their children
  • Building community management capacity so that locals can lead their own communities in the Mali government’s decentralization context
Mali is plagued by frequent drought and insufficient food supplies. Of the 13.1 million residents, 63 percent live below the poverty line. Adult illiteracy is among the highest in the world, and infant and child mortality rates are also unusually high. Many children lack access to health care, safe water, education, and a stable food supply.

Child sponsorship is providing the necessities of a healthy life to Mali’s children and the hope of a better tomorrow to families who long to be self-sufficient.

To help Malians build brighter futures for their children, sponsorship offers access to safe water and improved nutrition, agricultural training, health care, education, and assistance in starting small businesses.
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