By Laura Striegel | Project Leader
Dear supporters!
I hereby supply you with the latest news of our project in Mali. While we are still looking for funding and donations to finance our agricultural training center, we have not been lazy. We were travelling frequently to Mali, talked to the locals and young people to create an agricultural training center that is perfectly suited to the wishes and needs.
At the moment, there is hunger crises! It is imortant that we quickly start the school so that more vegetables will be produced for the region.
Therefore we have already initiated classes with the government in Mali. 15 young people were able to learn all about biological farming and spezialised in poulitry: when and what to vaccinate, what kind of food for the chickens, what is push-pull system and how does it increase naturally the outcome, different breeds and vegetables...
It was a succes because the participants were not only able to become self-employed afterwards but because we learned more about potential weaknesses. One example was the gender issue. After the first 40 days of training, we noticed that some of the women were not participating anymore. After interviewing all of them, we found out that there was a languages barrier (due to the fact, that girls are often not allowed to go to school) and that they did not feel comfortable to study with the males, as well as leaving their children at home.
That was important! We will completly change the classes. Women will first get classes of basic french and will have seperate classrooms with day care facilities for their children. We need to support the women, one they are able to become self-employed their role in society will strengthen.
Moreover, we noticed that women, due to their menstrucation, skiped classes and stayed at home. Menstruation pads are not availble to girls and women. We will therefore buy sewing machines and organize sewing classes for interessed women to produce washable menstruation pads. Not only will that be a possibility for income generation but it is a cheap and biological alternative to make live easier for girls and women of this West-african country. We are completly exited and are testing these pads right now, before starting the sewing classes.
We thank you for supporting us and we hope you spread the word, because there is so much work that still has to be done:)
Kind regards,
Laura Striegel
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