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Danish Parliament Foreign Committee field trip
to visit Mali Folke Center activities funded by Denmark in the south of Mali, Koumantou Commune
Programme
March 2008
The field trip will take members to the village of Tabakoro, Rural
Commune of Koumantou, in the Sikasso Region. This is on RN7 (National Road No. 7), about 260km from Bamako. The itinerary includes visits of activities funded n the frame of the Yere Yiriwa project (meaning “to be responsible for one’s own development in order to be respected by the community†in local Bamanan language). This project is building capacity in two communes to allow full participation of populations in their local development processes, to cooperate with their elected authorities and to combat poverty through fostering of income generating activates. There will also be visits to previously executed projects, including integrated solar electrification and Jatropha as a local source of energy.
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Time |
Activity |
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08:30 |
Leave Bamako for Tabakoro, 260 Km away |
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11:30 |
Arrive in Tabakoro (site of Danida NGO Windows funded solar rural electrification project, and Jatropha project)Â Traditional reception next to health centre which was electrified with solar power with Danish support. Welcome to the village by Village Chief and traditional authorities Meeting with commune government representatives |
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12:00 |
Visit of other solar installations: |
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Visit of the solar lighting and vaccine refrigeration at the clinic in Tabakoro (installation funded by Danida NGO) Meeting with clinic nurse and matron on effects of the system and benefits to the village population especially women and children |
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Visit of the village school, which has solar powered lighting Meeting with adult literacy trainer and some of the women from Tabakoro & Koumantou who attend lessons |
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Water pumping installation Meeting with women who use the solar pumped water to discuss benefits |
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12:45
13:15 |
Lunch – sandwiches
Visit to the Solar Training Centre |
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This was built in the frame of the Danida NGO funded project for training rural solar technicians Meeting with some members of the Maintenance Committee trained by the project |
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Meeting with the Yere Yiriwa project team and “animateurs†and “animatrices†(dynamic members of the population who have been selected by their communities to represent them in the project). Discussion on the impacts of the project on the local population, and the income generating activites that have been identified by the populations themselves. |
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Discussion with the mayor of Koumantou on the benefit of the project for the commune and on Malian decentralisation policy Discussion with women and young people of Tabakoro on the impacts of the project in their living conditions and perspectives |
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14:00
17:00 |
Visit to Jatropha multi-functional platform (the jatropha mechanical press was manufacture with the technical and financial assistance of UNEP Risoe Center, Denmark) Meeting with women who use the platform for grinding cereals, charging batteries etc to discuss the benefits of the installation for the population Message of thanks from the population and the Mayor of Koumantou et depart to Bamako Arrival at Bamako, Hotel Sofitel |
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