Many of our activities in Mali are related to capacity building for women. At the same time, we are also looking for solutions to deal with the consequences of climate change, to which Mali is heavily exposed. We are heading to an island on the Niger River, in the middle of the capital Bamako.
On the banks or islands of the Niger River in Bamako lives the Bozo community, a population group that mainly lives from fishing. Join For Water has already ensured that this disadvantaged group has access to drinking water and sanitation.
In early 2025, we started a small vegetable growing project with the women of this community. The funds for this project come from Join For Water itself: since 2024, we have been realising an additional project each year through our own CO2 compensation fund, a fund we set up to compensate for emissions from air travel. Read more about this compensation fund here.
Mali and the Bozo were therefore chosen for the second project of this additional fund. As they live on an island, the space available for growing vegetables is limited and not every woman can cultivate her own plot. Join For Water found someone willing to give up a piece of land where the women can grow vegetables in groups. This is ideal for them, as they can easily find a market for their products in the centre of Bamako. Part of the proceeds are also for their own use.
Vegetable cultivation using a unique method
The method of vegetable cultivation that we taught the women differed greatly from the traditional method they were familiar with, which is growing vegetables in the open ground.
In this method, bags are used on top of the ground. The use of bags:
- allows better control of the ratio between soil and organic fertiliser,
- suppresses weeds, which otherwise compete for water and nutrients,
- reduces nutrient leaching, as the bags retain most of the nutrients.
In short, this method allows you to better control the growing conditions of the crops and achieve higher yields. Above-ground cultivation also makes it possible to harvest over a longer period.
The women learned the necessary techniques, such as preparing the bags and monitoring the conditions. As Join For Water, we obviously focus on water use and ensure that the available water is used rationally. The vegetables are watered through a tube in each bag. This means that no water is wasted and the dosage is adjusted.
The result
After three months, we already saw the first results: the harvest of red beets, onions, okra and carrots, among other things, is good. The women can earn some extra money for their families by selling these vegetables.
Want to know more? Read more about our work in Mali here.
The photos below show the preparations, the training of the women and the results. © Yassi Diabi
