By Hindaty Traore, Girls’ Project Manager

When a young girl in Mali is married young, her whole life can change. Thanks to the Girls’ Project, one young woman found her way back to school and all the way to graduation.

Oumou Diallo is 17 years old. She was in the ninth grade last school year at Tim Gibson Middle School. She lives in Tieman, a village that is 2 km from Sebela. She was born in a family of the ethnic group called Peulh. Being born in that group in Mali, Oumou faced many obstacles when it came to being able to graduate…or even attend school.

When the Girls’ Project started years ago, Oumou lived in Simidji — one of the first Girls’ Project villages. When we began, Oumou was in 6th grade so she had not been in middle school yet. Thanks to one of our activities -- which is having girls in middle school come and talk to the ones in 6th grade about the importance of girls' project at middle school during the school year -- Oumou became excited to study in middle school. According to Oumou, this activity was helpful to her because it really inspired her to attend middle school. Why? Oumou says, “I was just so curious to discover new subjects and get to know new people.”

Once she started middle school at Mali Rising’s Sue Chung Chui Middle School, her favorite thing about school was the study of English. She was proud to learn to say "good morning, how are you?” and learn the basics of a whole new language.

While Oumou was at Mali Rising’s school in Simidji, the Girls’ Project hosted meetings each month with Oumou and her classmates at the middle school. Oumou participated in all the Girls’ Project activities. She was respectful kind and courageous.

However, things changed quickly for Oumou. At the end of the 2019-2020 school year, she got married and moved to another village where her dreams broke into a thousand pieces. This is because with her ethnic group of Peulh when you get married, you are very unlikely to finish your studies. This was an especially likely fate for Oumou because she had to move to a strange village after her wedding. According to Oumou she felt certain that without the Girls’ Project to help her and pay her school fees in the new village, she would be forced to drop out.

But sometimes the stars align! After her wedding, Oumou moved to her husband’s village, which is very near a village called Sebela. Amazingly, Sebela is ALSO one of Mali Rising’s Girls’ Project villages! When she saw me and our Sebela Girls’ Group, she jumped on us joyfully. This wonderful coincidence gave her a lot of hope and courage to reenroll in school for the 20/21 school year.

Oumou was in 9th grade last school year and this summer she passed her graduation exam! Oumou said, “If the Girls’ Project was not in Sebela, nobody would pay my school fees and encourage me to study. I would not have taken the exam, let alone passed it!”

 “Now that I passed my graduation exam, my husband wants me to join him in another country. He always hoped to have an educated wife. If I did not pass my exam I don't think he would ask me to join him there,” said Oumou.

“The Girls’ Project taught me a lot about things like my menstrual period, or how to set a goal. I would like to be a midwife because instead of having pregnant women leave their village by plow, bicycle or motorbike for another village, I can help them give birth in the village without traveling. Pregnant women are fragile and travel can cause them problems with childbirth or the baby,” noted Oumou.

When we asked Oumou if she is afraid of anything, she said, “My biggest fear in life is offending other people. Because we were born in people’s hands and return to death in people's hands.”

We asked Oumou if she had any advice or insight to share with other girls. She shared, “In life, a girl who is educated even if she doesn't have a job, she can have good strategies to create things so as she is not depending on other people!”

Thanks to our generous donors, Oumou is on the way of fulfilling her dreams of becoming a midwife and a great future for her community and her country. We hope Oumou’s future is bright, and thank everyone who helped make it possible.