House of Hope

No woman should have to go through female genital mutilation, no woman should be denied access to education, no woman should be forced into a marriage against her will, these are the three pillars of our work in Mali and the House of Hope project.

A few years ago, our partner organization in Mali, Sini Sanuman received a donation of a piece of unused land from a wealthy local man. . and supported by Gedeon Richter Ltd, in partnership with us and supported by Gedeon Richter Ltd, came together to build upon it the House of Hope. Completed in 2024, the House of Hope is a women’s shelter and educational center promoting our three pillars.

The House of Hope is located next to the impoverished Sansfil quarter of Bamako, where the core of our work in education-access has taken place over the years. Expanding educational access to the children of Sansfil led us to understand the particular struggles of girls in that area. Perhaps most pressing amongst them the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM).

FGM or sometimes referred to as female genital cutting (FGC) “refers to all procedures involving  the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia or other injury to female genital organs for non-medical reasons” (UN). FGM is particularly prevalent in Mali, producing detrimental repercussions on the female population and the society writ large.

Though horrific in nature, to view this practice as a moral defect of a group of individuals misses the broader picture and possible solutions to it. It is a practice produced by cultural myths and norms, the remedy to which lies in raising awareness through effective spokespeople and popular education, which is where the House of Hope comes in. Since opening, the House of Hope provides training led by Sini Sanuman on the real impact of the procedure. It gives former “excisors” (the women performing the practice) a chance to retrain for other professions such as sewing or soap-making and allows gynecologists to help victims of FGM. Finally, the House of Hope is a shelter for girls fleeing violence and child marriages, equipping them with knowledge necessary to move on. Education begins with teaching reading and writing to open up opportunities for these girls and women.

To continue to fund the training, workshops and support systems, the House of Hope relies on your donations and support. Any donation regardless of their size is appreciated.

Thank you for any contribution you can make to the construction of the House of Hope, and to the empowerment of the girls and women of Bamako. . Thanks to our sponsors, we have been able to finance three months of a six-month program for the Bamako Women's Center for the necessary education of Bamako's girls and women!

We await your support on the following account number:

Close to Africa Foundation, MagNet Bank: 16200010-10097432,

Comment: "Women's Center."

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