Manankoro
Our initial task was to raise money to support J&D's integrated development programme for Manankoro, an area of 5,000 sq. km. in southern Mali, near the border with Cote d’Ivoire. The population is around 26,000 people with Manankoro village as the centre of the Commune. The Project had a number of components; as well as working with young people and womens’ groups it aimed to increase the level of literacy in Manankoro from 2% to 30%. It provided a network of health care in an area which at present has no doctor and hardly any medical staff. A key objective is to reduce the rate of infant mortality-119.4 per 1,000 as opposed to 5.4 in the UK. The whole project is based on sustainability, so the work also concentrated on developing local capacity and skills. 
Until very recently the area has been largely ignored by development organisations, though some other agencies have now also begun to work in the region.
MDG's objectives:
- To help the expansion of Ntentou school, specifically with new classroms, teachers' rooms, latrines and resources. Class sizes were around 50, with two classes being taught at the same time by one teacher in one room. With more classrooms, the state will provide more teachers.
We have been successful in raising the money and building work has now been completed
- Provision of a replacement vehicle for J&D.
We had fantastic support from Toyota UK, Amersham and Wycombe College and HM Prison Service and the vehicle arrived in Mali in early 2005.
- Manakoro Women's Project: This saw the provision of grain grinding mills, a small credit scheme, reading materials, medical equipment and teaching materials.
It was funded by money raised during Kennington Overseas Aid Week - many thanks to the committee and supporters at KOA. 
- The
 purchase of a motor bike for the health workers to allow them to provide health services for outlying villages in the region.
- Purchase of a grain grinding mill for Lemouroutoumou.
Without it the women spent hours each day pounding grain by hand. Now they have a mill which everyone in the village uses and they're able to charge neighbouring villages for its use. Consequently the women now have time to grow vegetables and are making a small profit from the mill.
Bamako
Although the capital of Mali, Bamako is very poor and most of its roads are untarmaced. There is a lot of work to be done with street children and young people in poor neighbourhoods.
MDG's objectives:
- Links between schools in the UK and Mali. This is an exciting project with lessons about Mali planned in relation to the National Curriculum. Young people in Bamako have drawn pictures and taken photographs of their lives for discussions in English schools and this has been reciprocated.
- Developing links with Bolle, the detention centre for young people in Bamako. The Director of Bolle is keen to have professional support from England and this is a project we are hoping to take forwards.
We have already paid for seeds for the market garden in the institution and would like to be able to pay for a well to increase its productivity
- Provision of computer equipment for J&D and for the use of young people in the area around the J&D office.
- Sponsorship of a football tournament for teams of young people, including girls.
- To support projects to train street children to be able to make an independant living.
- We worked with several young people's projects in an art competition.
This resulted in several designs for cards that we have had for sale.
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