The Yehi community programme
The Yehi community development programme is located in the
Dinangourou sub-district, 860km northeast of Bamako, the capital of
Mali, and on the border of Burkina Faso to the south. World Vision
reaches 22 villages with a total population of 40,100. World
Vision's partnership with Togogana started quite recently in 2009,
and is envisaged to continue until 2024, when the community will be
fully equipped with the resources and skills to take ownership of
its own development. In the past year, significant progress has
been made in the current focus areas of nutrition, and health,
water and sanitation.
Issues covered: Nutrition, health,
water and sanitation
Updates on World Vision's work
Nutrition
- 3 community vegetable gardens were established, and to increase
overall agricultural production, both men and women are being
trained in modern gardening and farming methods, such as making
their own organic fertiliser from kitchen waste and cattle dung,
instead of using expensive chemical fertilisers.
- Nutrition education for mothers, including the importance of
breastfeeding, has resulted in an improvement in children's
nutrition and health.
Health, water and sanitation
- 3750 pregnant women and mothers with under-5 children,
participated in awareness-raising programmes on the importance of
pre- and antenatal consultations to help improve child and maternal
health.
- 1800 households were educated on the importance of proper
hygiene and the use of latrines, and 3500 mothers and caregivers
were trained in hygiene practices, such as hand washing, to help
reduce the spread of disease.
The Yehi community is in the fourth year of its development
journey with World Vision.
Life on
the ground in Yehi
Ambulance reduces child and maternal mortality
rates
An ambulance service in the Yoro
community in Yehi has helped reduce child and maternal mortality
rates.
Since the start of World Vision's health programme in Yehi, the
focus has been on the well-being of pregnant and breastfeeding
women, and all children under 5 years of age. Women are being made
aware of the importance of pre- and antenatal care to ensure their
own well-being, as well as that of their babies. Mothers also learn
more about the importance of breastfeeding and immunisation. Birth
attendants receive additional training and insecticide-treated nets
are being distributed to protect women and children against
malaria. To further promote child and maternal well-being, World
Vision supported the Yoro community in Yehi with an ambulance.
Nouhoum Boncoungo, the Yoro community health association president,
said: "Before, when a pregnant woman had a problem delivering her
baby, the only way to reach the health centre was on foot, or
bicycle or horse-drawn cart. Sadly, some women and babies died
before they could be helped. Now, our pregnant women have fewer
problems, because World Vision has supported us with an ambulance.
Child and maternal mortality rates have decreased significantly.
The ambulance has improved our living conditions, particularly
those of women and children."
Having once been a centre of wealth and culture, Mali now counts
among the poorest countries in the world. In 2010, Mali was ranked
173 out of 177 in the United Nations Human Development Index.
