IN SOFARA, FOOD AID BRINGS HOPE TO DISPLACED FAMILIES

For several years, growing insecurity in central Mali has forced many families to flee their villages to find refuge in safer localities. Among them is Adama, in his sixties and father of six children, who had to leave his village with his entire family to seek refuge in Sofara, a commune that today hosts several internally displaced households.

 When he hastily left his home, Adama lost everything: his livestock, food supplies, and most of his belongings. In Sofara, he strives to meet his family's needs under difficult conditions. With no access to cultivable land, he works as a mason's assistant, often earning a very low income. Despite all his efforts, feeding his family is a daily challenge.

“I only earn 1500 CFA francs (around  2,66 USD) per day, when I am lucky enough to find work,” he confides. “When there is no construction site, I cut wood that I sell to buy a little food.”

As part of the Global Emergency Rapid Food Assistance project, funded by World Vision Netherlands and World Vision US, food assistance consisting of rice, oil, beans, sugar, and salt was distributed in Sofara to dozens of vulnerable households.

Adama remembers days when there was not enough to eat for everyone.

“This is the first time I have received assistance,” he explains. “When I told my wives that we were going to receive food, they were very happy. This food will really relieve my family. There are days when we only ate once or twice, and most often, we had to reserve the little food for the children. The help from World Vision came at the right time and was given to those who needed it.”

Between September and November 2025, the project helped 778 vulnerable people, including more than 750 displaced households spread across several circles in central and northern Mali, notably Djenné, Tominian, San, Bandiagara, Koro, and Ménaka. 

For Adama, this aid represents a true breath of hope after months of uncertainty. “This assistance has given us back our smiles and hope. We can finally eat our fill,” he says with a grateful smile. 

As Adama, many displaced families continue to arrive in Sofara and other localities in central Mali. They sometimes find the hospitality of supportive communities, but their basic needs, particularly for food, remain considerable. 

Humanitarian interventions, such as World Vision’s food assistance, now represent a true hope for these families who have lost everything and are seeking to rebuild their lives with dignity.