DJAM activities able to continue due to strong partnerships
As for all projects, also DJAM is facing hard challenges posed by the Covid-19 crisis and by the restrictive measures put in place to limit the pandemic. The presence of a strong consortium partner in Mali like DELTA-C allows to continue part of the activities in the field, since they can travel in person to Pays Dogon and continue the activities with local partner. Also, local beneficiary of ADI are very active and are working hard every day to put in place the best conditions to run the project as planned.
Defining capacity building needs
At the end of May and beginning of June the DELTA-C team of project DJAM in Mali conducted its first field mission to Sangha and Sevaré. The objective assigned to this mission was to clearly define the capacity building needs of the technical team and administrators of ADI and subsequently to establish an operational staff training program. The DELTA-C team met individually with all of the ADI staff based in Sangha and in Sevaré. Also focus groups were carried out with the leaders of the women's groups of the three epicenters (Sangha, Koundou and Wadouba) who were represented by fifty women. These focus groups aimed to identify the support needs of these groups to integrate them into the training program of the ADI support team. At the end of the mission, most of the training themes identified by the management were confirmed, but also new themes emerged and will be integrated into the training plan.
All the elements resulting from the mission will be translated into a detailed training program which will define the educational objectives, the content and the timetable of each training.
In addition to the priority objectives assigned, the mission made it possible to assess the security context of the intervention area to allow DELTA-C to put in place appropriate measures. It emerges from this assessment that the security context is difficult, but still remains favorable for carrying out DELTA-C activities within the framework of the implementation of the DJAM project. However, the risk is very high for some DELTA-C experts to make the Sévaré-Sangha journey.
Visual research and collaboration with Yamarou Photo
From the end of May, the Viewpoint team regularly organized Zoom meetings with Yamarou Photo to discuss the content of the work and the workflow. In Bamako, the Yamarou team had already received technical training with the camera equipment, so we decided to start shooting in the context of Bamako. This will allow young people and refugees from the cliff of Bandiagara and the Dogon Country living in Bamako to express their reflections on the current situation of their lives, the impact of insecurity and the Covid crisis.
Other DJAM progress
MSM and the consortium are undertaking talks with the Malian Ministry of Education to establish a partnership for the development of the education program of Lycee Professionnel Sangha (LPS). Furthermore, under supervision of PPD, infrastructural works at LPS are continuing, in order to assure ready classrooms and didactical gardens for next year.
About the covid-19 situation
As for all projects, also DJAM is facing hard challenges posed by the Covid-19 crisis and by the restrictive measures put in place to limit the pandemic. The health situation in Mali seems to be under control at the moment and restrictive measures between Bamako and the rest of the country have been eased. However, the main challenge for the project implementation is the impossibility for Dutch Partners to travel to Mali to conduct the activities. The Consortium has promptly moved all communication and project management activities online and is working hard to plan also training activities online, like Viewpoint has done with local video makers of Yamarou Photo. Microsoft Teams, Zoom or even Whatsapp are used from laptops or mobile phones, from anywhere and in any condition, to ensure continuous dialogue and collaboration between the Dutch and local partners. However, the precarious IT infrastructures in Mali make the “digital shift” difficult.
The presence of a strong Consortium partner from Mali like DELTA-C allows to continue part of the activities in the field, since they can travel in person to Pays Dogon and continue the activities with local partner. Also local beneficiary of ADI are very active and are working hard every day to put in place the best conditions to run the project as planned.
Orange Knowledge Programme
This project is part of the Nuffic Orange Knowledge Programme.
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Photo: Viewpoint
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