Use Soap to Empower 60 Rape Survivors in Mali

Second report from the soap-makers of Mali

This is the second report on our Global Giving appeal to help survivors of armed sexual violence in Mali produce and sell soap.

Rape has long been a byproduct of conflict and it has a devastating impact on victims. Mali, in Africa, is one of the latest countries to suffer. In 2012, rebels and jihadists rose against the government and imposed a reign of terror in the north. Thousands of women, like Aissata S, pictured above in the photo, were forced to wear veils, flogged for minor infractions, raped and forced into marriage. Many saw their husbands killed in front of their eyes. Tens of thousands fled to the south, to seek refugee in the capital Bamako. Their wounds are still raw after four years.

For Aissata S, at least, things are looking up. Aissata is one of sixty survivors who will spend six months this year at a center in Bamako learning to make soap, clothes and embroidery. The center is managed by our Malian partner, Sini Sanuman, with funding from the German government. In addition to medical assistance, psychosocial support and food, the center offers survivors the chance to learn a skill in the company of other women. This in turn boosts their confidence, which is often the first casualty of sexual violence. Few things are as satisfying as making something that others will buy.

The training has been going well. Working under the watchful eye of a professional soap-maker, Aissata S and the other trainees are making two types of soap at the centers, from palm oil and from shea butter (also known as beurre de kerite). They mix and pour soap into large moulds. Once it sets, the soap is shaped by hand into bars, boxed up and and sold by trainees in the market under the brand name of Sini Savon. So far this year, the two centers have produced over 2,000 bars at around 25 cents a bar. Their target for this year is 25,000, so they have a long way to go!

Everyone benefits from this arrangement. Even the shea oil is hand-made by poor women from a village association, as shown in this video.

The training has been a success, but it still faces challenges. At present, trainees like Aissata S cannot continue to make and sell soap after they leave the Sini Sanuman center because they cannot afford the equipment and material. It can cost over $1,000 to buy a cutting machine, table and moulds. This makes it hard for trainees to use the skills they learn at the center and earn a living.

Which is where your donations come in. So far, sixty of you have given $4,700 – which is remarkably generous. We will use the money to help three community-based women’s associations to buy soap-making equipment and material, and enable their members like Aissata S to continue making soap. Sini Sanuman works with 69 associations in Bamako alone, so there will be no shortage of candidates. Sini Sanuman will select three groups that have their own treasurer and bank account and are willing to contribute to the cost. Aissata Toure, our program soap trainer, will move around the three associations and provide additional advice if needed. We hope to reach at least new 60 beneficiaries this year, and maybe more.

We are grateful to all of you who have donated, but one donor deserves a special thanks. Luigi Laraia, from the World Bank, is currently braving the elements on Mount Denali, the highest mountain in Alaska. (Photo below). Luigi has dedicated his climb to the soap-makers of Mali and many of you have responded to him personally. Luigi is also the author of a much-acclaimed play about sexual violence – Neda Must Die. If you have not already seen it, we urge you attend the next performance at the World Bank on June 28

We also wish to acknowledge Rose Twagirumukiza, who will be volunteering at Sini Sanuman in Mali this summer as one of our wonderful Peace Fellows. Rose is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide. She spent years in refugee camps before receiving asylum in the US and was made an American citizen two weeks ago. Rose has decided to show her gratitude towards the many people who have helped her and her family by returning to Africa to help women in need. She will help Sini Sanuman to manage your donations and report regularly through weekly blogs. After returning to the US, she will report back to Georgetown University, where she is studying for a Masters degree, in the Fall. We could not be in better hands.

Thank you for helping to launch this exciting project!

The AP team