Mali is among the poorest countries in the world with a highly unequal income distribution. Mali is land-locked and has little opportunities for export. 65% of the land area is desertic or semi-desertic; 99 % of the rural population lacks energy services. Creating a sound economic basis is the only way rural people can escape from poverty. For this to happen energy is needed, as it can increase productivity, add value to the agricultural produce and increase income.

Jatropha is well known in Mali where it is used for protective hedges and erosion control lines. It is also used for traditional soap making by women. There is a strong demand for electricity among the villagers in Garalo to pump water for irrigation, to operate agricultural processing equipment, for chilling of vegetables, for lighting and refrigeration services in small shops and restaurants.

The aim of the project is to reduce poverty of the village population and setup  Jatropha-fuelled electricity generators for 10,000 people in the Commune de Garalo.The expected results are:

• 10,000 People benefit from clean electricity services supplied by a local electricity company with 300 kVA generating capacity; 400 connections; and an extension plan developed for the next 5 years;
• 1,000 Ha plantations of Jatropha (and other oil-producing plants) implemented to cover the electricity; this includes training of people at different levels and a guaranteed quality of the processed oil;
• Environmental benefits (CO2 emission savings) of 9,000 ton per year over the project life of 15 years; as well as protection of soil against erosion to combat deforestation and desertification.

The money spent on locally-grown fuel stays in the community to stimulate the local economy; on a macro-economic level, this implies a reduction of the country's expenses on imported fossil fuels, saving hard-earned foreign currency reserves.

The target groups and beneficiaries of the project are multiple: farmers, small entrepreneurs, social facilities such as schools and hospitals. Garalo is at a crossroads with many small businesses to provide services to the people in the village and those passing through. The population is mainly engaged in agriculture (mostly millet, sorghum and rice, as well as cotton for income generation), raising cattle, and fishing.