Fanta’s Hard Life: A Journey of Resilience wit World Vision Mali

A Widow and mother of 9 children, Fanta fled her village called of Biba because of the armed conflict to settle in the circle of Djenné district of Central Mali. 

Her village is still under the influence of armed groups and the inhabitants had no access to their fields. When she arrived in Djenné, she received assistance from World Vision's Seasonal Assistance to the Vulnerable project for internally displaced people after the death of her husband. 

"The armed men kidnapped our village chief. They also looted the village and took all our belongings. Weeks later at dawn, we were able to flee the village and settled in Fakala near Sofara. We were, well received by the village chief and the community. A few months later, my husband decided to return to our village to see if there was a lull. His motorbike hit a mine and he died. My children and I were worried about the void my husband had left behind," Fanta explained.

Despite the difficulties, her husband struggled every day to provide a minimum of food for the family.

"I did not know how to feed my 9 children after his sudden death. A few days later, World Vision's Seasonal Assistance Project offered me rice, small grains of oil and pasta. This donation helped us get through a very critical time," said Fanta.

The social and security context in central Mali remains fragile. Armed conflict continues to affect many communities who have no choice but to flee, increasing the number of forced and internally displaced persons. World Vision Mali, through the World Food Programme (WFP)-funded Seasonal Assistance to the Vulnerable (ASV) project, continues to support vulnerable households with food and cash to minimise the risk of hunger and child malnutrition.