Where We Work
The Mali Health Organizing Project works in the country of Mali, West Africa in a slum neighborhood called Sikoroni.
93% of Mali's urban population lives in slums. -(UN-Habitat)
We believe that places like Sikoroni are particularly deserving of attention. According to the UN, a slum is an urban area that lacks:
- Safe water
- Sanitation
- Secure tenure
- Durable housing
- Sufficient living area
Slums in Mali, however, are neighborhoods. They are NOT violent, and the people are motivated and organized.
Dan te dinye na.
About Sikoroni
Sikoroni means "little old shea tree" and is a
neighborhood just north of Mali's capital city
of Bamako.
There are an estimated 60,000 people
living in Sikoroni.
The people in Sikoroni mostly come from rural
places.
They go to the city hoping to find work.
The houses are constructed out of mud-brick
(called "banco") and they generally last only a
few years.
People stay in Sikoroni for much longer because
they cannot afford to move into the city and
are too ashamed to move back to their
villages.
Few people in Sikoroni own their land.
The government does not provide services in
Sikoroni because few people vote or pay
taxes.
Some people in the town are 4 kilometers on
hilly rocky pathways from water, clinical care,
paved roads, or electricity.
Despite all of these hardships, Sikoroni's
people are active and engaged.
The need for change and the potential for
people to lead it make Sikoroni an ideal site
for Mali Health Organizing Project's
community-committee model.
About Mali
Mali is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is bordered by seven nations, and marked by the Niger River. The Climate is mostly arid and desert.
There are many ethnic groups in Mali, including Bambara, Mandinka, Fula (Peul), Dogon, Songhai, and Tuareg among others. French is the official language, but Baminankan is the primary spoken language.
Malie has a uniquely peaceful culture. They have a national cultural concept of Diatigiya (hospitality) and a joking system between formerly warring groups that allows for incredible confilct resolution and day-to-day conviviality.
Mali is also the world's 3rd poorest country.
- 72.3 percent of the population lives with less than a dollar a day
- 81 percent of the adult population (15 and older) is illiterate
- 29 percent of the population suffers from malnutrition
- Nearly 1/4 of the children die before the age of 5
- Life expectancy is 47.9 years.