Fatoumata and Alima: A Beautiful Story of Friendship and Solidarity
In Mali, our partner Association Jeunesse et Développement (AJDM) works daily to bring hope to young girls facing hardship, particularly young mothers who often suffer from social exclusion. Through its project Djiguiya So (House of Hope), AJDM provides accommodation for these young women and their children, along with holistic support including vocational training in sewing, henna tattooing, beauty care, and catering. They also receive literacy courses, financial education, entrepreneurship support, and awareness-raising on health issues.
In addition, the House of Families, also run by AJDM, serves as a space for community exchange and support. It promotes the essential role of families in children’s development and well-being, while strengthening social bonds within the neighbourhood.
But AJDM’s work doesn’t end when the training does. The young mothers continue to receive individual and community-based support that helps them in their parenting role, fosters autonomy, and promotes sustainable social and professional reintegration.
It is in this context that we met Fatoumata and Alima, two young women trained in sewing by AJDM, who are now continuing their journey with determination and courage. They first met during an entrepreneurship training session organised for former beneficiaries, bringing together several graduates. During that session, a friendship was born. Since then, they have supported each other and are moving step by step toward a shared dream: opening their own tailor shop.
Fatoumata:
When Fatoumata began her training in 2021, she was already a mother. Today, she lives in Bamako with her husband and their two children, in a modest room where family life and professional activity coexist. At the entrance to their space, she has set up her sewing machine, given to her at the end of the training, in a dedicated corner for her work.
As her business isn’t visible from the street, word of mouth remains her main way of attracting clients. Despite this challenge, Fatoumata manages to secure regular orders. Resourceful and inventive, she improved her pedal-operated machine by adding a small electric motor, while keeping the manual system, a clever solution that allows her to keep working during Bamako’s frequent power cuts. Now pregnant with her third child, Fatoumata continues her activity with courage, supported by a precious ally: Alima, her friend and former training classmate.
"We’d love to open a tailor shop together. For now, we don’t have enough resources, but we will get there!"
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Alima:
Alima also works from home but occasionally assists in a tailor shop, where she’s called in to strengthen the team as needed. She also helps Fatoumata when she’s overwhelmed with orders or feeling unwell. Thanks to a community savings group she contributes to monthly, Alima has already been able to buy a second sewing machine. It’s a first step towards opening her own shop perhaps alongside Fatoumata.
"My strategy is to save up and gradually buy equipment. Once I have enough, I’ll be able to open a shop."
Fatoumata and Alima have also taken the initiative to join a mutual support group with other former beneficiaries. This emerging network offers each woman a space for listening, sharing, and motivation, where experiences intersect and enrich one another. In this way, AJDM’s impact goes beyond the individual, planting the seeds of collective engagement driven by young women determined to build a more dignified and independent future together.