Make a Difference this Ramadan

“Whatever you spend of good is [to be] for parents and relatives and orphans and the needy and the traveler” – 2:215

 

This Ramadan, you can help children at risk of being abandoned and families at risk of falling apart. You can help by supporting the SOS Children’s Villages Family Strengthening Program in Kouloun, Mali. Kouloun, Mali: Where Need is Great

 

Families in the northwest African nation of Mali are in need. In particular, Kouloun, located in southwestern Mali, is a rural, predominantly Muslim, community lacking basic necessities. 10,000 people live in Kouloun, mostly women, and the community suffers from high rates of poverty, malnutrition, infant mortality and child abandonment.

 

The community has some of the lowest levels of school enrolment and attendance, especially among girls.

 

With no wider family and community support, families find it hard to stay together. The lack of economic opportunities has caused many fathers to migrate to other areas in search of a job. Children drop out of school and are at risk of being abandoned.

 

That’s why SOS Children’s Villages is in Kouloun to help families and children in need.

 

Making a Difference in Kouloun

 

SOS Children’s Villages Family Strengthening Program in Kouloun was established in 2011, and supports this vulnerable region in several ways, including:

  • Access to education, medical care and nutritious food
  • Workshops on education, health, children’s rights, gender issues, parenting and household hygiene
  • Training in income generating activities
  • Training in literacy, business management and accounting
  • Assistance in obtaining official identification
  • Help accessing micro-loans and establishing micro-businesses

 

All these things help keep families together. They help parents find sustainable income so they don’t have to move away. They help the community to better care for families and children. And they help keep children from being abandoned.

 

Lend a Hand During Ramadan

SOS Children’s Villages cannot accomplish what it does on its own. Your contribution towards SOS Children’s Villages would be invaluable to families and children in need.

You can make a donation during Ramadan

 

This project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD).

Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada