The Minister of Decentralization visits WaterAid in Mali intervention areas for his first field trip 

The delegation visiting the commune of Dandougou Fakala

Credit: WaterAid/Abdourahmane Coulibaly

11 August 2011

From 21-22 July 2011, WaterAid in Mali and its partners have had the honour of receiving the Minister David Sagara in intervention areas as part of his first field visit.

"I encourage WaterAid and its partners to the capitalization and the sharing of experiences and good practices from their intervention in Mali to allow learning and a scaling up" said the Delegate Minister at the end of the visit.

The visit was part of the strengthening of collaboration between the new Department and WaterAid in Mali through the sharing of developed strategies and approaches to contribute to the decentralization process in Mali.

The Ministry of decentralization is a new Department within the Ministry of Territorial Administration and local Governments, who through this visit made his first field trip. WaterAid seized this opportunity to share its experience of direct support to local governments aiming at the empowerment of local actors to own and well manage local development projects.

This mission has enabled WaterAid in Mali to make a strong call to the Government and the Minister for the effective transfer of resources and competences to Local Governments.

During the mission covering the District of Bamako, the regions of Segou and Mopti, Minister David Sagara, met local authorities and communities.

The meeting with local authorities, enabled him to understand through presentations by the coordinators of the technical units (Commune III and Dandougou Fakala), the Initiative of Localising the Millennium Development Goals (LMDG-I). He has been well informed on the process and achievements among which the development of sectoral development plans, the capacity building of local governments in marketing of these plans, local leadership, planning and project management.

In the frame of governance and citizen action, the main point discussed with the Minister was the improvement of the quality of cooperation between elected officials and communities facilitated by the organization of public hearings which direct impact is the increase in taxes recovery.

Ms. Aissata Diallo, member of the Management Committee of the Konio water point, village of the commune of Dandougou Fakala

Credit: WaterAid/Abdourahmane Coulibaly

To better inform the Delegation on the level of community participation in the process of decision-making and development at the base, the delegation heard statements of the communities for the most, members of the WASH management committees in intervention areas.

"Before 2008, date of creation of the technical unit, we existed as a Committee of management of the water point in our village and had serious problems in managing the maintenance of the infrastructures." I can say that since the establishment of the technical units, we are better organised. For example we save 50XoF each per month for maintenance. I do not remember our Committee seeking financial supports other than the Community contribution to solve O&M issues that occur”. Ms. Aïssata Diallo member of the Management Committee of the Konio water point, village of the commune of Dandougou Fakala.

Satisfied with his mission, the Minister gave among others, the very encouraging collaboration guidelines such as the capitalization and the sharing of experiences through intermunicipality, twinning, synergy of efforts of WaterAid’s Regional Learning Centre and the Local Government Training Centre, and finally the mobilization of resources.

For more information, contact Abdourahmane Coulibaly, Communications & Campaigns Officer, WaterAid in Mali