Mali
Development
Group
Development on a human scale…
The Mali Development Group, also known as MDG, is dedicated to promoting social development in Mali, West Africa. We have been working hand in hand with Malians for over 20 years, addressing basic needs with the active involvement of community groups. Our national partners operate in the capital city of Bamako and in remote areas in the rural South.
Aside from raising funds, we provide practical and technical assistance by harnessing the expertise of our members and leveraging the relationships we have built over the years. As a small voluntary group, we rely on the skills and commitment of our members, allowing us to keep our overheads to a minimum.
We are committed to fostering enduring partnerships with our Malian colleagues, founded on the principles of trust and openness. We believe that this approach has resulted in an effective model of international development, built on people-to-people connections that promote local action.
Our Partner in Bamako, Pensons à Demain (PAD)
Creating traditional Bogolan (mud cloth) design
PAD is a registered Cultural Association created by the artist Kader Keita and his friends in 2004. They use the media of art and culture to build the confidence and self- esteem of children living or working on the streets of Bamako, thus facilitating their reintegration into wider society through reconnection with their families and learning skills for independent living. They include children with disabilities, school dropouts, young mothers, those displaced from north and central Mali and young women in detention. See PAD’s 2024 annual report here.
Sewing and Tailoring training
PAD has been running sewing and tailoring tranining for young single mums for nearly ten years. Courses run annually and are made up of eleven months of training in the PAD workshop (see above), followed by a month long placement with a working tailor. Graduates leave with a start up kit including their own sewing machine so that they have the means to build their independence. PAD keeps in touch with recent cohorts and many of them are reintegrated into their family of origin.