Progress Report: Recovery of the local economy in northern Mali
The project MLI / 802 – Recovery of the local economy and support to communities in northern Mali –seeks to address local needs in terms of equipment and rehabilitation of communal infrastructures, including schools, community health centres, water access points, town halls and district councils. LuxDev is implementing the project with funding from the European Union’s Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace in the framework of regional efforts to address the root causes of fragility and insecurity through socioeconomic development.
The first months of implementation of the project have been dedicated to the organisation of missions and diagnostics of community workshops to collectively determine community needs and priorities. In 12 towns targeted by the project, including 6 in the region of Gao and 6 in the Timbuktu region, the workshops brought together elected officials (mayors, secretaries-general and officials representing various sectors such as education, agriculture and environment) with local populations, including village chiefs / factions, representatives of civil society including women and youth, community leaders, community health associations and school management committees, amongst others.
From 8 to 19 August 2016, 12 municipal council sessions were thus held to prioritise and validate requirements and deliberate lists. Despite being held during the winter period, which mobilises most communal councillors to work in the fields and makes access to municipal capitals difficult due to road conditions, the participation rate of local councillors was very satisfactory in each of the municipalities.
The successful sessions confirmed the relevance of the participatory and inclusive approach of the project for determining community priorities regarding material needs. Technical studies will now be conducted to quantify the extent of work and equipment required before recruiting suppliers and contractors through public tendering procedures.
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