Throughout Mali, women are expected to fill traditional roles, staying at home to care for their families. However, they often lack the education and resources to contribute to healthy decision-making for their households. Women are also expected to step into the role of motherhood early, often as adolescents.  These conditions contribute to a variety of persistent health challenges for women and their children, from limited access to routine primary healthcare to some of the highest fertility and adolescent fertility rates in the world – all of which put their health and their children’s health at risk.

One Day’s Wages partnered with Mali Health to support 400 women to establish small businesses that offer sustainable livelihoods to finance their families’ health needs.  The project expanded women’s knowledge and training in three areas: vocational training, financial literacy, and sales and marketing.  The women who participated included 150 adolescent girls who were trained in a trade of their choice, and 250 women of multiple pregnancies who were supported to start micro-enterprises.  All 400 women are now earning income to support their basic needs, including nutritious food, children’s school fees, and healthcare expenses!