Tiby, Mali
Population |
55000 |
Villages |
11 |
The Tiby Millennium Village cluster is located in the southern region of Segou, one of the poorest areas in all of Mali. Food insecurity is prevalent because of sporadic, unreliable rainfall. There are extremely high child mortality rates, due in large part to malaria which is endemic in the region. The combined effects of high human and animal population, exploitation of natural resources (foods, fuel, fodder, shelter, etc), and unfavorable climatic conditions have put the soils under unprecedented pressure. The naturally poor soils have been further impoverished through nutrient extraction. The vegetative cover has seriously declined since the early 1970s, resulting in a loss of soil fertility and agricultural productivity. Factors such as lack of water and labor for dry-season composting, inadequate market and transportation facilities, discrepancies between the price of fertilizers and that of cereal crops and the general breakdown of the traditional farming systems have contributed to environmental degradation and decreased agricultural productivity in Segou.
Village Characteristics by Sector
More than 75% of the villagers are subsistence farmers, growing mostly rain-fed sorghum and millet cereals with very low yields—between 500 and 700 kg/ha. Rice is also grown but the irrigation system is obsolete, rudimentary and not well maintained. Other crops such as peanuts, beans and sesame are grown but in very small areas or in association with millet. Vegetable gardening, mainly practiced by women on small plots of land, has become an important cash-generating activity wherever water is available.
Malaria prevalence hovers around 68 percent and between 70-80 percent of the population is anemic.
There are high levels of illiteracy and less than half of the school-age children go to school. Schools are run by the communities and have limited access to education materials and teachers (about 105 students per teacher).
While the area has several water points, most are not safe nor even functional, requiring numerous repairs and spare parts. Only 20% of the population has access to safe water.
Intervention Highlights
The Government of Mali is extremely supportive of the project and President Toure is engaged in the project’s activities. All sector activities are coordinated by government staff seconded to the project.
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Agriculture: Increase crop yields and decrease hunger |
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| The project has introduced micro-dose technology in the area, which consists of applying small doses of fertilizers (about four grams) into the planting holes to reduce the amount of fertilizer needed. The project has also distributed improved millet seed. The result has been a doubling of yields, which helps farmers contribute food for the school feeding program. Additionally, the cluster has established a very successful input subsidy and credit scheme to support the fertilizer requirement for rice, millet and sorghum. Finally, in order to preserve water, the team introduced drip irrigation to more than 1,300 cluster farmers. This method greatly reduces the amount of water required to support a successful crop, and is often used to support market gardening. |
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Health: Improve access to basic medical services and combat the spread of major diseases |
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| The project completed construction of two clinics, bringing the cluster’s total to six, which meets the Ministry of Health’s standards. Additionally, more than 200 community health workers have been trained and service Tiby’s households. CHWs administer malaria treatment, follow up on births and provide additional assistance to the cluster’s households. Their presence has greatly improved access to basic health care and encouraged community members to take advantage of the cluster’s services. Additionally, the majority of recorded deliveries now take place in the clinics. |
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Education: Increase enrollment and improve quality |
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| With the elimination of school fees, the addition of more teachers and a school feeding program which helps supply a hot, nutritious lunch every day, the resulting increase in student enrollment has been tremendous. The MVP has also helped build new schools, contributing skilled labor and non-local materials to complement the community’s strong contribution of labor, locally available materials and overall construction oversight. Additionally, the MVP implemented an intensive sensitization campaign to promote sending all boys and girls to school. The project also organized a 21-day training session for primary school teachers on curricula development to improve the quality of learning in the schools in the project area. |
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Infrastructure |
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| The cluster team has prioritized the installation and repair of boreholes and pumps to maximize the number of residents served by improved water sources. The project has also made progress with regard to roads, electricity and ICT. Almost 70 kilometers of roads within the cluster have been enhanced, either through regular maintenance or scheduled improvement. In addition, 250 sites within the cluster now have grid or off-grid electricity and ten sites have been connected to the Internet for the first time. |
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