WOMEN-LED
HEALTH FINANCING 
Women in Mali are saving $70,000 per year, and they’re doing it 25 cents at a time.
Since 2013, we have helped women in peri-urban communities gather and share their funds by making loans to one another to pay for healthcare expenses, or for small income-generating activity. They organize savings groups of 15-20 women, elect group leaders, and set rules for contributing and borrowing. The average weekly contribution is around 100 – 200 FCFA (about 25 cents).
“Simply put when money flows into the hands of women who have the authority to use it, everything changes.”
– Melinda French Gates
When women come together in their communities – they can be an amazing force for change. They are leading the way in finding local, sustainable solutions to improve access to care. They are proving that we can remove burdensome user fees without removing agency.
Whenever there is an emergency or urgent medical need, the women in my savings group know to come to me to get a health loan because the money belongs to all of us. I really enjoy being the president of this group because we are all women, we all help each other and we all work together.
– Sokona, president of her savings group in Lassa
HOW WOMEN LEAD
COOPERATIVES
Since 2018, we have supported women in savings groups to form cooperatives that produce health-promoting products, like soap and peanut butter, right in their communities. They not only make valuable resources more available to their neighbors, they are increasing their incomes, as well. Read more.
SHARE
Savings for Health and Reproductive Empowerment (SHARE) is a special savings group for pregnant women that helps them prepare for the additional costs and challenges associated with giving birth, while also ensuring they receive all their maternal healthcare at their local health center. Read more about SHARE.
OUR RESULTS
5,965
women in
288
groups
$49,346
saved
in 2021
4,805
educational sessions per year
180
women in
6
cooperatives
UPDATES
Meet the women of Coopérative Bènkadi in Sanankoro
One morning in March, at the beginning of Mali’s hot season, we went to meet Fatoumata to learn more about the activities of the women of Sanankoro, and their cooperative. Despite the blazing heat, 40° C (104° F) in the shade, Fatoumata generously welcomes us under...
Collecting data and waste for Gnaman ni Sôrô ni Kènèya
The following are excerpts written by Adam Aicha Hanne, an MPH – PharmD student who spent her summer practicum working with the Mali Health team in Bamako. She worked on the Gnaman ni Sôrô ni Kènèya project with the Community Capacity Building department. The goals of...
Meet Bintou and her twins
In West Africa, and especially in Mali, it is customary to go door-to-door when multiples (twins, triplets, etc.) are born, collecting support from neighbors. The birth of multiples can be a significant challenge for families with limited resources. Through this porte...
Mali Health improves maternal and child health by supporting women, communities, and the community health system to develop local solutions that ensure every mother and child has access to quality primary care.
US //
PO Box 51632, Durham, NC 27717
Mali //
Hamdallaye ACI 2000
Rue 100, Porte 222
Commune IV du District de Bamako
Côté Ouest de l’Ecole de Maintien de la Paix Alione Blondin Beye
info@malihealth.org
