Cowater International Inc.

Published purpose

The project aims to improve the economic empowerment and well-being of women and children in artisanal mining communities in the Keniéba circle in Mali. Project activities include: 1) supporting approximately 1,400 women and 200 men working in the artisanal mines of Keniéba in the creation and structuring of local associations and savings groups; 2) training approximately 1,400 women and adolescent girls in modern, safe and environmentally friendly mining techniques and alternative sectors; 3) establish four incubation centers for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and support the creation, management and formalization of MSMEs by women and adolescent girls; 4) carry out awareness campaigns on the rights of children and women in relation to their work in the artisanal mining sector 5) strengthen the capacity of village protection and alert committees to identify and respond to cases of child labor in artisanal mines and support them in the implementation of programs for the reschooling of approximately 480 children between the ages of 8 and 13, including 240 girls; and 6) provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Mines to integrate measures to reduce child labor and promote respect for women's rights into regulatory and legal reforms related to the artisanal mining sector. The project will directly benefit approximately 1,700 women, 400 men, and over 500 children (at least 50% of whom are girls) involved in the artisanal mining sector in the Keniéba cercle in the Kayes region. The project will indirectly benefit the entire population of women and children in these communes, approximately 33,300 adult women (18 years and older) and 78,000 children (0-17 years), and their households.