From the Swiss Blue Community Kene Elou Te and its partner in Mali, the Blue Community Réseau Ecole RadioChico RERC:
Summary of the practical ideas and experiences that have emerged from our work with children, families and communities in Mali through Ecole RadioChico – KeneElou-Te.
One of the key lessons we have learned is that sustainable change often begins with simple, locally understandable solutions rather than complex technologies. We try to build on local knowledge, local resources and practices that people can easily maintain and pass on to others.
Some examples include:
- Growing basil, tomatoes and lemongrass around homes and community spaces to help reduce mosquitoes naturally while also improving nutrition and food security.
- Encouraging small vegetable gardens with crops such as tomatoes, beans, salads, okra… to improve nutrition and create enthusiasm for local food production.
- Exploring solar cookers as a low-cost and environmentally friendly alternative for cooking.
- Using simple solar water disinfection (SODIS) methods with transparent plastic drinking-water bottles (PET bottles) to improve drinking water safety where appropriate.
- Demonstrating WASH practices directly at water points rather than relying solely on classroom-style training.
One example from our work with children may illustrate our approach. When children received tomatoes, they were not allowed to eat all of them immediately. Each child was encouraged to keep at least one slice containing seeds, place it in the soil and cover it lightly with earth. The children could keep two tomato plants for themselves and were encouraged to share additional seedlings with neighbours and relatives. In this way, the project quickly expanded through the community, creating not only more food production but also natural mosquito-repellent barriers through companion planting with basil and lemongrass.
In our experience, practical demonstrations are often more effective than lengthy training sessions. For example, when children and parents can directly observe how washing clothes or bathing close to a borehole may contaminate the surrounding area, they immediately understand why clean water sources need protection. Such learning-by-doing approaches have proven very effective in our communities.
Another important lesson from our work is the value of involving children. Children are naturally curious, open to learning and enthusiastic about new ideas. They often become ambassadors within their own families and communities, helping to spread good practices in a positive and natural way.
We have also learned to be cautious about introducing technologies that are unfamiliar or difficult to maintain locally. Whenever possible, we try to build upon tools, materials and knowledge that communities already know and can manage independently. This strengthens local ownership and long-term sustainability.
