The Spanish Contingent of the European Union Training Mission in Mali finances the sanitary refurbishment project of a local orphanage

• With the toilet refurbishment, more than a hundred children will see an improvement of their living conditions.

The Spanish contingent deployed in Mali has financed the refurbishment and improvement of the toilets that the orphanage «Association pour le Soutien des Handicapés et Enfants Démunis» (ASHED) has in their facilities in the Mountougoula Commune. The institution is in charge of more than a hundred children, from newborns to 15-year-old adolescents.

At the handover ceremony, Colonel Emilio González Vega highlighted the commitment of the Spanish military personnel to “the orphanage, in particular, and the Malian society in general.” The Deputy Major of Mountougoula, Sidi Yaya Doumbia, the director of the orphanage, Kadia Dème, people close to the institution, workers and numerous children from the orphanage were present in the ceremony.

The Civil Military Cooperation team (CIMIC in Spanish) of the European Union Training Mission (EUTM) Mali visited the ASHED orphanage, located at around thirty kilometres from Bamako and on several occasions, in order to follow the project of the improvement of facilities. Accompanied by the director of the orphanage and the contractors, they could witness the work in progress until their final handover. 

Project background

The final impetus for this project took place during the visit of the Minister of Defence last March this year.

It was then, during a donation of basic needs for these children, that the director requested the Minister to help them with the repair of a van and the refurbishment of the toilet block. “They will get their vehicle repaired and will have a place for their sanitation,” claimed the minister. These two became “quick impact projects” (QIP).

The van was the only means of transport the orphanage had to transfer children from the institution to the school. It was out of order due to a mechanical failure, and fixing it was essential in order to enable their transportation from the institution to the school or other locations where they carried out activities.

The toilets were previously in a precarious state, with no running water or water pipes, and were limited to four walls that had a hole connected to a septic tank, as can be seen in the pictures.

Thanks to actions like this, the Spanish Armed Forces promote economic and social development and social welfare, as well as the facilitation of the interaction between our soldiers and the Malian society.