Women play a vital role in advancing agricultural development and food security in their villages. The women of Tiécouaré, a village in northern Mali, have a say in the affairs of their people. One local woman, named Kani, acts as special advisor to the chief of the village.

When the 2012 Crisis hit northern Mali rebels invaded the village. That same year the village experienced a drought—all of which threatened the survival of Tiécouaré and its people. Determined not to let their village slip away, the women of of Tiécouaré – led by Kani – banded together to start a women’s garden cooperative and land cultivation project to ensure a future for their people.

To help Tiécouaré sustainably recover from the effects of conflict and climate change, NEF in partnership with the the Fonds Canadiennes de Development (FCD) and USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), upgraded their water pumps and wells and provided seeds for their garden to augment their food supply.