Montreuil, France
Twinning and cooperation programme between Montreuil and Yélimané (Mali)
Summary
The presence of a sizeable Malian community originating from the Yélimané Circle has prompted the Montreuil authorities to develop direct co-operative actions with the villagers in this Sahel area which is mainly affected by water supply problems linked to desertification. To make the programme content fit the expectations of the migrants, the villagers and the elected representatives from Montreuil, tripartite decision-making and follow-up structures were set up in the shape of two Monitoring Committees and a Steering Committee. Operations are carried out by a Malian team. Actions to improve the drinking water and cereals supply, to extend cultivation, education and literacy and preventive health campaigns have been carried out and are continuing to this day.
Objectives
To support the Yélimané Circle initiatives that are in-line with sustainable development and enable the villagers to continue living in their own country.
State of the project
The third three-year programme is to be implemented from September 1998.
Context
The inhabitants of Montreuil, the third town in the Ile-de-France region, include about 24% migrants from Polish, Spanish, Italian and Malian origin. The majority (80%) of Malians, numbering 6 000, come from the Yélimané Circle. The Yélimané Circle is a 6098 km² territory with 90 villages and a total 137,000 inhabitants. It is situated in a pre-Sahel region. Economic and climatic conditions have forced the Malians to emigrate to France to seek work that provides a salary which, though modest, can sometimes support a whole village in Mali.
In order to respond to the request of the two Malian Organisations in Montreuil at the time, the Town Council has since 1985 committed itself to a co-operative twinning operation with the Yélimané Circle.
Strategy
At the Montreuil end, the operation rests on a partnership between the Association for the Development of the Yélimané Circle in France (ADCYF), which brings together all the Malian associations whose members come from the Yélimané Circle, on the one hand, and the Montreuil Office for International Relations (OMRI), a group with charity status, which is responsible for the Town's policy in respect of international relations, on the other hand. The ADCYF was created in 1996; previously, the town council had been dealing with members of the two Malian organisations. In Yélimané, the equivalent of the two structures is the local twinning committee. A team of 9 Malians is on the spot to carry out the programme. Finally, supervision is carried out through a Steering Committee. Each programme is set up for three years.
Activities
The first three-year plan that was set up enabled various techniques to be tried in five test villages. A working team including 2 or 3 expatriates was responsible for carrying out the programme. These were members of the GRDR (Research and implementation group for rural development in the third world), a partner association to the town of Montreuil for the programme. The second plan consisted in extending the experiment to the whole of the Yélimané Circle; a single expatriate was integrated into the working team. The third plan, planned for the end of 1998, will rely on an exclusively Malian team. The Yélimané Circle is shortly to form into a total of 12 separate communes. The third plan will thus have a new dimension since the elected mayors will be in charge of the programme.
The actions undertaken relate to five domains: crop irrigation, drinking water supply, cereals supply, education and literacy, and economic development. Health prevention actions are planned for the next three-year plan.
As far as irrigation is concerned, operations allowing an increase in traditional crop production have been carried out. These consist in creating micro-dams, filtering dykes, small protective works for the cultivated areas, a larger dam (Dioncoulané) and the development of ponds and market garden areas. In terms of drinking water, the programme is striving to improve the management of existing and planned watering points. Several water supplies have been created or are being created in various villages. In terms of cereal supply, the programme oversees the training of cereal store managers in order to ensure supply to villagers in isolated areas at fair affordable prices. The education programme aims to ensure that the four existing libraries operate effectively, and eventually co-operate in creating literacy centres and train literacy volunteers. To help with small projects, the villagers can get loans granted on an individual or collective basis. As far as health is concerned, a social and health plan and a sewerage plan are provided for.
Partners
Two monitoring committees have been set up to accompany the preparation and implementation of three-year development plans in the Yélimané Circle. These are consultation bodies. One of them meets at least once every three months in Montreuil and is made up of two Montreuil based groups, the ADCYF and the OMRI. The other holds equally frequent meetings in Yélimané and brings together the local development actors.
A steering committee meets once or twice a year in Yélimané and brings together members from the two monitoring committees as well as representatives from women's and youth groups, from the Yélimané economic and social development group and other consultants. It is the decision-making body whose job is to define provisional annual programmes, their financing, the follow-up of the activities, the six-monthly analysis and monitoring of outcomes, and possible adjustments to current programmes. Thus decision-making is tripartite: the Montreuil Town council, migrants and villagers. Finally, the implementation of the programme is carried out by a 9-person team, all from Mali. This team is supported by external technical operators under contract.
Financing and resources
Annual financing comes from the Town of Montreuil (FFr 450 000), the Secretary of State for Co-operation (FFr 450 000), the European Union (FFr 600 000), the migrants themselves (FFr 200 000) and the work valued by the villagers (FFr 250 000). Other partners such as the Regional Council of Ile-de-France or the Grands Lacs de Seine contribute to the funding of specific operations up to FFr 200 000 but this participation varies a lot. Funding is essentially granted for economic development operations. Operations in the health and education fields only get restricted funding.
Funding is distributed as follows: equipment: FFr 110 000; running: FFr 265 000; staffing costs (nine people team): FFr 232 000; training: FFr 86 000; implementation: FFr975,000; technical support: FFr 140 000; communication, publishing: FFr 21 000.
Apart from the working team, the programme relies on two people at the Montreuil Town Hall and an office staffed by four people at the ADCYF.
Outcomes and impact
The programme has prompted the formation in Yélimané of numerous village associations and groups, especially with young people and women. In Montreuil, new modes of communication and action have emerged with the people from the Yélimané Circle thanks to the creation of the ADCYF. The setting up of a steering committee has prompted all the development actors to get really involved in the decisions affecting the programme. In the short term, with the creation of the communes and the election of representatives, representation of the population will be even greater. Setting up the programme has helped the Circle's population to achieve greater autonomy in taking decisions, driving and leading its own development.
During the second three-year plan, the programme translated in real terms into hydro-agricultural installations that made secure more than 400 ha of flood prone land by building micro-dams and dykes. Fifteen wells were dug and seven others renovated. Market garden areas were plotted out. Fifteen health workers were trained (nurses and medicine store managers, matrons). Four village libraries were created and cereal supply to the stores supply has been possible at prices competitive.
Obstacles and difficulties
- It is sometimes difficult for the wishes voiced by the villagers to match up with the solutions offered by the migrants. Migrants and villagers do not always have the same idea about development. Sometimes, the migrants do not agree among themselves. Some would prefer collective action. Others are more interested in "prestige” works such as water supplies or local structures. The participation of ex-migrants who have returned home is valuable as they can act as mediators.
- Very often, collective works are erected on private land with the owner's agreement. It is however necessary to ensure that the land will be eventually given to the community. Property ownership issues need to be settled.
- There is often a strong temptation to apply European development models to a different African reality.
Transferability
Montreuil has managed to listen to the Malian population and has attempted to meet its expectations on the basis of a strong partnership with migrants and villagers. This approach needed a lengthy period to raise the awareness of the various partners.
Essential points
Co-operation provides real support for sustainable development in the Yélimané Circle. It also brings benefits to Montreuil in raising awareness, especially among young people who are more sensitive to the issues. The people from Montreuil taking part in the programmes desire the Yélimané inhabitants to attain some degree of food self-sufficiency and to develop their activities. They are aware that regions such as Yélimané are particularly exposed to the consequences of global warming whose cause is not far from the activities and types of behaviour of developed countries such as France.
Additional information
Contact : Mr Jean-Claude Slama
Service Relations Internationales
Ville de Montreuil
Tour Rond-Point 93
65, rue du Général Gallién
i
93100 Montreuil
Telephone : 33 01 48 70 60 17
Fax : 33 01 48 70 60 73
This fact sheet was taken from a sheet from the database of the Léopold Mayer Foundation for Human Progress, 38, rue Saint-Sabin 75011 Paris
Acknowledgements
The text for this project summary was developed by
l'association 4D (Dossiers et débats pour le
développement durable), Paris - E-mail:association4d@globenet.org, 1999.
© ICLEI, 1999. See Impressum.