Country Description:

CARE Mali began operations in 1975 in response to the Government’s appeal for assistance to combat the effects of the drought of the mid-1970s. Initial programs included rural schools construction and community development activities such as fishing cooperatives, rural credit associations and irrigated gardens. CARE identified access to water as an additional priority and began programs to build and maintain wells in the Koulikoro region. During the mid-1980s drought, CARE distributed food, seeds and tools to drought areas. Through the mid-1990s, CARE’s programs focused on rural water supply, primary health care, small economic activity development and agro-forestry activities aimed at stopping the degradation of soils and other natural resources.

Over the last twenty years, CARE programs have supported community-based organizations, local government and NGOs. In 2002, CARE Mali restructured its in-country operations and currently operates from regional offices in Ségou, Mopti and Timbuktu. CARE’s programs currently address the root causes of poverty; they focus on agricultural production and marketing, education, health care and decentralized governance.