If you knew that your neighbour was no longer eating, would you give him a little money? What if this meant sharing your last dollar with him?
In Mali, where three out of four people live on less than a dollar a day, this is the kind of sacrifice mothers have made. These women, who developed soap manufacturing micro-enterprises with our assistance, have welcomed other disadvantaged women from their villages to their association, knowing that they would have to share an already meagre income with them.
I was in Africa recently, where I met Aïcha. Listen to her heartfelt cry: “The cost of living is bleeding us all dry. How could you ask me to abandon my neighbours and their children? Our strength is in helping each other.”
By making a donation to Alternatives, you are helping these women develop essential skills to counter rampant malnutrition, illiteracy and great vulnerability to diseases, which are the daily lot of the vast majority of families?
In partnership with the Association des radios libres et des clubs Kayira, these illiterate women learn to count, keep accounting books and understand marketing. The faster they acquire these tools, the better they can integrate other women into their association so that they can ensure their family’s subsistence.
By supporting Alternatives, you encourage these people, who are expressing their will to take control of their lives. You are helping to lay the foundations of sustainable economic development. These actions really have positive effects. Thank you for committing a real act of solidarity by making a donation today.
François Coulombe
Project Manager for Africa
