Seiga is a village of herders near the border of Mali. Seiga has always been impoverished; RAIN began work there in 2011. The ongoing war in Mali has brought thousands of Malian refugees to Seiga and the surrounding area. For communities living on the brink, the strain is enough to push them over the edge in terms of access to water and food and increased health risks. There is very little infrastructure. Although the greater community benefits from a lake for several months of the year, the only source of potable water is a bore-hole pump. The recent drought and food crisis has left many households struggling to survive, rationing food as they watch their dwindling animals forage through the parched landscape.
During the recent food crisis, RAIN provided food to Seiga at subsidized prices to those in need, investing the proceeds in their school. We now seek to provide long-term food production systems, starting with a well and school market garden. Thanks to recent support from Rotary International of Dover, NH, a well is underway to provide water in the face of the increasing demand of growing schools and refugee influx. In partnership with additional foundations, RAIN plans to install a School Market Garden to provide desperately needed nutritious food and cash crop support to the school.
RAIN is grateful to Dover Rotary for taking the first big step with us towards water and food security for Seiga.
