The Adolescent Health Project in Mali- SAM is funded by Global Affairs Canada for the period 2021-2026. It is implemented by the Malian Red Cross (CRM) in collaboration with the Canadian Red Cross (CRC), MIT D-Lab and CPHDA. The SAM Project is implemented in the health districts (DS) of Fana, Kati and Ouéléssébougou (the Koulikoro region). The Project supports the Ministry of Health and Social Development (MSDS), the Ministry for the Promotion of Women, Children and Families (MPFEF) and the Ministry of National Education (MEN) of Mali. The objective of the SAM Project is to improve the health status, rights and well-being of adolescent girls in targeted rural areas in Mali, in particular:

• Improved health practices for adolescent girls in targeted rural communities;
• Reduction in the practice of early marriage among adolescent girls in targeted communities;
• Improved maternal, newborn and child health practices in rural communities, particularly among adolescent mothers and fathers.

The activities carried out by CPHDA as part of the SAM Project enabled the achievement of planned results, namely:

• The production of radio programs with adolescent girls to discuss the difficulties linked to their schooling, to collect and implement proposed solutions;
• The organization of focus groups with adolescent girls, women’s associations, leaders with a view to better taking into account the educational needs of adolescent girls;
• Remission of school fees to 6,186 families of 6,900 vulnerable adolescent girls in the Health Districts of Fana, Kati and Ouéléssébougou;
• The development of a methodology for granting incentives, in particular the criteria, the method of disbursement;
• Identification of in-kind scholarships and associated costs;
• Implementation of the accelerated schooling strategy (SSA/P), particularly for adolescent girls;

The provision of school kits to 1,000 adolescents (i.e. 900 adolescent girls and 100 adolescent boys) with a view to improving their academic results