Remittances and diaspora investments offer vital support for sustainable practices and climate adaptation. IFAD’s initiatives in Nepal and Mali prove simple solutions can scale.
Location: Mali
Beyond remittances, diaspora investment is helping to address Africa’s financing gap while empowering local communities. Since 2022, with the support of the European Union, IFAD and I & P have partnered with the Malian diaspora to create Ciwara Capital—an investment fund owned and managed by Africans in Europe.
Programme: EUTF Mali Location: Mali
Authors: IFAD, Ciwara Capital, I&P
Themes: Diaspora Investments, Rural SMEs
The White Paper is the result of the “Mobilizing Diaspora Resources into an Impact Investment Fund in Mali” four-year pilot project (2020-2024), which was funded by a EUR 230,000 grant from IFAD’s Financing Facility for Remittances (FFR) and implemented by the impact investors, Investisseurs et Partenaires.
The White Paper presents a comprehensive overview of the lessons learned and best practices gained through the project; among its main achievements, the project established Ciwara Capital, an autonomous, diaspora-led investment company that raised over EUR 200,000 and successfully invested in Mali in the agri-food and education sectors. Additionally, it developed an innovative investment solution tailored to engage diaspora investors, built the financial capacity of diaspora members, and strengthened partnerships with local entities to ensure sustainable impact. Through these efforts, the project not only broadened the impact of diaspora investment across sectors and regions but also fostered stronger ties between the Malian diaspora and their country of origin.
Programmes: EU Mali Location: Mali
Themes: Climate Action, Diaspora Investment, Remittance Families and Development
This report is produced by the Financing Facility for Remittances (FFR) of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in the framework of the IFAD–United Nations Conventions to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) partnership on Sustainability, Stability and Security in Africa (3S Initiative).
The report delves into the critical intersection of remittances, diaspora investments, and climate adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa, to offer comprehensive insights. The report analyzes the effects of migration and remittances on countries and households of origin, especially in the agricultural sector, and examines initiatives aimed at enhancing the impact of diaspora finance on sustainable development and climate resilience.
Download the full report here:
Programmes: EUTF Mali Location: Mali
Themes: Climate Action, Diaspora Investment, Remittance Families and Development
This report was produced by IFAD’s Financing Facility for Remittances (FFR) and Red Mangrove in the framework of the IFAD–UNCCD partnership on Sustainability, Stability and Security in Africa (3S Initiative).
The aim of this study is to document how remittances and diaspora investment can be used as a mean to adapt to climate change in Mali. It is based on a quantitative survey of 400 rural households as well as on qualitative interviews with the returning diaspora and financial services operators, conducted in the regions of Kayes and Sikasso in November 2023.
Download the full report here:
To reduce poverty and support economic growth through decent work in rural Mali by mobilizing diaspora investments. The expected results are as follows:
This study is aimed at providing food for thought for operators wishing to tailor their financial tools to the needs and expectations of the diaspora while stimulating the interest of public actors in the Malian diaspora in the receiving countries and Mali.
IFAD is developing between 2019 and 2024 the Diaspora Investment program in sustainable entrepreneurship for rural youth in Mali.
This study is aimed at providing food for thought for operators wishing to
tailor their financial tools to the needs and expectations of the diaspora while
stimulating the interest of public actors in the Malian diaspora in the receiving
countries and Mali.
