Mali is one of the most deprived countries in the world and Unicef estimated that over a million children face protection issues with approximately 137,000 displaced due to ongoing civil unrest and the Covid pandemic. This project is providing shelter, food, health checks and clothing whilst also using the media of art and culture to build trusting relationships, develop skills and facilitate children’s integration into wider society.

Children living on the streets in Bamako have to focus on survival from day to day. With limited organisations providing support, they often go hungry; they can’t access health or education services and are exposed to all weathers and continual risk of sexual and economic exploitation. Since 2004 Mali Development Group (MDG) has been working with artist Kader Keita at Pensons à Demain (PAD). PAD meets the basic needs of some of these largely forgotten children.

Each programme aims to improve self-esteem and resilience; increase literacy and other skills (including training in Bogolan a local artform); reduce malnutrition; improve overall health and where possible repatriate children with their families. Kader is an inspirational character with a vocation to work with vulnerable young people, with whom he feels deep empathy. This project is working with about 100 children, made up of 20-25 boys attending each of four three-month courses and 15 young mothers on the year-long sewing and tailoring course. In order to further develop its work, this grant is enabling MDG and PAD to create a formal system of tracking for young people once they leave the centre. PAD is planning to use this information to evolve the programme, identify gaps in services, source appropriate partnerships and, over time, develop evidence to lobby for change.