Field Office and Training Center

In 2008, Ecova Mali was selected by Lush Cosmetics to be part of their Charity Pot program. As such, Ecova Mail recieved enough funds to start the creation of a training center and field office. Learn more on the Training Center page.

Active Projects:

• Establishing Productive Gardens and Orchards
• Establishing Productive Aquaculture Enterprises
• Rabbit Raising
• Poultry Production for Meat and Eggs
• Animal Fodder Production and Storage
• Organic Fair Trade Shea Butter
• Medicinal Herbs and Herbal Products
• Organic Fair Trade Cotton
• Benefit Concerts
• Jatropha bio-fuel programs

Completed Projects:

February 2007

Mini-grant #1: Our first grant was made to Fatoumata Dembele. ECOVA MALI gave her 50,000 CFA ($125). With this money she purchased a wide variety of vegetable seeds which she proceded to distribute among the women in Niana Sobala, a small village in the Segou region. Fatoumata is an amazing woman, who has overcome many obstacles and hardships in her life. She is highly respected by the entire community and is the head of the Women's Association, an incredible group of women with great initiative, aspirations, solidarity, and skills. She and her friends have been able to save seed from the vegetables they grew and now they can grow the same vegetables again and again without purchasing new seed.

Mini-grant #2: We provided a mini-grant of $225 (110,000 CFA) to Djakari Djan Dembele for the urgently-needed purchase of a new fishing-net. Djakari is a fisherman by trade and his most valuable possession is his fishing net. With it he provides nourishment and income for his entire family. These nets are very expensive by Malian standards and due to some extremely difficult circumstances, Djakari could not afford one on his own. The Bani-fin is a river that flows through his village of Koro-Bada. The local fishermen have all noticed the decline in fish populations from over-fishing and pollution. Djakari is very interested in aquaculture, and we hope to match him with a Malian trainer so he can learn this valuable skill. Once he has mastered this skill we will be able to hire him to train other Malians. It is in this way that we intend to maximize the long-term impact of ECOVA MALI sponsored training efforts.

Micro-loan #1: We provided a micro-loan of $200 to the family of Bacari Coulibali to assist them with the purchase of an ox to use plowing their fields.  18 months later the loan was repaid in full with a modest interest fee.  We are now contemplating our next loan to make with these funds.

Micro-loan #2: We provided a micro-loan of $200 (100,000 CFA) to the family of Madou Diakite. He and his family are exceptionally skilled gardeners and manage an incredible river-side garden. When we saw them, they needed the loan to pay for repairs to their water pump, a resource that is critical to the success of their garden. Once the pump is repaired he and his family will be able to resume full production in his phenomenal garden. His agricultural expertise is well known in the region and he is slated to become one of ECOVA MALI's first trainers. Madou also took the initiative to provide some space within his fenced-in garden to a local women's association to whom he also offers access to irrigation from his pump.