Our Training Center & Field Office is now listed within the Google Maps database.  We have a satellite image from Google Earth that pre-dates our acquisition & development of the site, as well as one that was taken in December 2011 (see below). The latter shows the gardens, wells, & buildings we have created since acquiring the land. Click here to see our training site in Google Maps.

Here is a satellite image from 2003                       Satellite image from December 2011

(6 yrs before ECOVA MALI acquired the land)         (2 1/2 yrs after ECOVA MALI acquired the land)

Zoomed image of Training Center and Field Office

In the top right of the land is the housing, field office,

warehouse, sheep and chicken pens, and kitchen arranged

in an "L" shape.  In the inside corner of the "L" is our outdoor

pergola (hangar) which provides a shady space where many of

training sessions have taken place.

We purchased 7 acres of land 35 km west of Bamako for our permanent Training Center and Field Office in 2009.  Most of the construction is complete and our fantastic Malian staff continues to develop all the necessary infrastructure to make it a living example of agricultural and economic self-reliance.  2010 saw the creation of our permanent vegetable garden, which is central to our training work, and over time will become an increasinlgy important component of the organization's financial viability.  We hosted our first series of training sessions beginning in June.  We hired a local expert to train 2 dozen local women in improved shea butter production techniques.  The workshop series was wildly successful and the women are excited to use their new skills to produce Grade A shea butter that they will be able to sell for a premium!  Other workshops have focused on improving soil fertility through composting and mulching as well as inter-cropping.

We are proud to say that ECOVA MALI is officially recognized by the IRS as a 501c3 non-profit profit organization.  As such we can accept your tax-deductible donations directly. You can send us a check made out to ECOVA MALI or make a secure donation using your credit card on this website. 

We are happy to say that our year-round vegetable production which we first planted in March 2010 is going strong! So far our staff has planted chilli peppers, tomatoes, okra, eggplantbeans, peas, and numerous papayas.  We have already been able to eat and sell some of its bounty! We have consistently had amazing yields from our habanero peppers, tomatoes, onions, peanuts, maize, and cashews. The papayas are amazingly sweet and yield fruit within 9 months of planting from seed!