by Merritt Frey, Executive Director
The very best part of my job? Meeting our students. The second best? Receiving student interviews and photos from our hard-working Mali staff, Alou and Hindaty. Reading the students' stories always makes me feel good about our work, but also just plain better about the state of our world.
So, I'm sharing here three new stories that arrived just this week. Alou and Hindaty recently visited Eagle Environmental Academy in Lofine, and you can read more about their visit here. But one of the things the staff were busy with in Lofine was talking with our students about their education, their lives, and their futures.
And now we can take a peek inside those discussions with these short student spotlights. Take a little break, meet these three young Malians, and be cheered about our global prospects for the future:
Last year Natogoma took the national ninth grade graduation exam, but like 70% of kids in Mali she did not pass. Luckily, Natogoma has grit and resiliency – she came back this year for another round of ninth grade and another shot at the national exam. She says, “I really hope I will be admitted [pass] this year.” More.
Adama has a vision for his future. “After my studies, I would like to be the Minister of Education because it is around him that all decisions for education are taken,” says Adama. “The basis of a country's development is education, so if someone manages that successfully, you will be a hero.” More.
Balakissa is a smiley 7th grader. She is very lucky to live just a 15 minute walk from the school. She says that she walks to school with her girlfriends and on the way, “…we have fun mimicking the gestures of our teachers when they are in class.” Sound familiar? More.
