Hunger in the Dogon of Mali

Hunger in the Dogon of MaliA cooperative effort led by Dr. Claudius Vincenz & Dr. Beverly Strassmann from Ann Arbor, Michigan; Dr. Diana Strassmann, Dr. Anne Chao, & Dr. Kimberly Hoang from Houston, Texas; Hands Across the Water (www.hatw.org) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Mr. Anagaly Ogobara Dolo (tellemvoyages.com) from Sevare, Mali.

photo © Beverly Strassmann

Location

Dogon country is located in the semi-arid thorn savannah region of West Africa known as the Sahel.

Dogon Country

Map courtesy Nations Online Project

Dogon country is situated along the Bandiagara cliff.

We are focusing our food relief on twelve villages that have a relatively sustainable agricultural future and low migration to cities.

The Bandiagara Cliff: A United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World

Heritage Site.

Photo: Beverly Strassmann

Women Dancing

photo © Claudius Vincenz

Subsistence

Millet Farming

Onion Gardening (for cash to buy millet)

Both harvests failed in 2011 leaving the Dogon people without food until the next harvest in October 2012.

2011 was the worst harvest in nearly 30 years.

Pearl Millet Crop

Harvested Millet

A typical Dogon village photo © Claudius Vincenz

Rain Dance In 2011, the rains failed in most of the Sahel.


The Children of Dogon Country

In some villages only 10% of children attend school

School quality is low and parents must buy school supplies

Dogon Children

A young mother with her children

Young girls playing under a granary roof.

photo © Vincenz

photo (top) Claudius Vincenz

Children are at extreme risk for malnutrition.

Elderly widows are also at great risk.

Child Malnutrition

Young Dogon childrenphoto © Beverly Strassmann


Current aid efforts do not reach these remote villages.

A war in Northern Mali involving the Tuareg ethnic group is consuming preciously needed government resources and decreasing revenues from tourism.

Food prices are rapidly rising in response to high regional demand. In one month, there may be no millet available for purchase.

Challenges


Dogon children dancing for rain.


Food Distribution Plan

Goals

Contact millet traders and shippers for bids

Negotiate a final price

Deliver food directly to the villages by truck

Provide on site supervision of food distribution

These measures ensure that the food will actually reach the people, with no possibility for diversion or re-sale of the provisions

Photo © Beverly Strassmann

• 0.65 kg millet/person/day is needed assuming 2100 kcal/person/day with 80% of kcal coming from millet.

• Population size of the 12 villages = 10,256.• Food needs to last 3 months or 90 days.• Thus, 600 metric tonnes (1000 kg each) of millet

are needed.• At 20 metric tonnes per truck, this comes to 30

trucks.

Estimated Food Need for 12 Villages

Monitoring and Evaluation

We will monitor the height and weight of children in one of the villages.Measurements will take place before and after the hunger season, permitting evaluation of the success of the food relief effort.A final report will be prepared for donors.

• A 100 kg sack of mil let costs 25,000 CFA.

• One truck holds 20,000 kg.• Each truckload costs 5,000,000 CFA

(includes del ivery to destination)• Exchange Rate is 490 CFA per $• Each truckload costs $10,204 +

$42 wiring fee• TOTAL COST / TRUCK = $10,246

Estimated Food Costs

Funding Ledger

Funds raised so far = $160,000Cost of 30 trucks @ $10,246 / truck = $307,380Trucks needed per village (average) ~ 2.5Villages covered so far: 6 ¼ Amount needed to help 5 ¾ additional villages: $147,380

Cost/Village: $25,615 Cost/Truck: $10,246Cost/Person for 3 months: $33 (37¢/day)

Millet Distribution March 03, 2012

Photos © Kimberly Hoang


photo © Vincenz

photo © Kimberly Hoang

photo © Kimberly Hoang

photo ©Kimberly Hoang

Photo © Kimberly Hoang

By Wire (fastest option)By Check (funds via check may not reach Mali on time, in which case they would be used for a foot-bridge in Mali)

Key Bank ABA# 041001039 Swift code KeyBus33 Account # 222551000136 Hands Across

The Water Bank address 3848 South State Street Ann Arbor MI 48107

Hands Across the Water Attention: Dogon Project 2890 Carpenter Rd. Ste. 600 Ann Arbor, MI 48108 USA www.hatw.org Phone: 734 477 0135

Donations through Hands Across the Water (donations are tax-deductible)

http://www.hatw.org/

• C L A U D I U S V I N C E N Z• A C C O U N T # 0 2 5 0 7 5 2 8 9 1 0 1• S W I F T: A F R I M L B A• A B A : M L 0 4 5• W I N D O W: 0 1 0 0 3• C L E R I B : 7 9• A D D Y: B A N K O F M A L I , 4 1 8 AV E N U E D E L A

M A R N E , B A M A K O , M L

Direct Wires (not tax deductible)

(all funds will be used for millet distribution to villages)

Thank You!

Photo © Kimberly Hoang

The United States food supply in 2000 provided 3,800 kcal per person per day, of this 1,100 kcal were lost (spoilage, plate waste, cooking related losses etc.) and dietary intake in 2000 was about 2,700 kcal per person per day.

http://www.usda.gov/factbook/chapter2

U.S. Comparison





Technology

Hunger in the Dogon of Mali