By Merritt Frey, Executive Director
As you may remember, our Girls Project entered a new phase this year. We have taken on 5 additional villages with the project, and we are transitioning the 3 original pilot villages into more and more local leadership. As part of that local leadership, this year we trained six Girl Leaders to take on leading the Project in their home villages. Meet one of those Girl Leaders — Tenimba — here.
My name is Tenimba keba Doumbia. I'm 21. I passed my graduation exam (DEF) in the Mali Rising school in the village of Simidji. I am currently in a vocational school named Kader Sanogo in Magnambougou, studying to be a secretary on a 3-year program. I have a hard time with typing because I still cannot type with many fingers! I want to be a great secretary because I like to sit in front of computers and work.
But my dedication for this job is because I will be able to type children’s birth certificates. There are many children in Mali who do not have a birth certificate. The birth certificate is very important in a person's life. It allows people to go to school, know their country better etc. I want my late father to be very proud of me as a girl. He has passed away since 2007. His death almost affected my studies. My mother took care of us by herself after that. I would like to build a very huge and beautiful house for her one day to honor her courage and her bravery.
I am very happy to be chosen as a Girl Leader because my village is late in development of women’s literacy. If the girls are educated, that will contribute to the development of our village. We are not used to receiving this kind of support. Being a Girl Leader will allow me to have confidence in myself, to speak in public, to manage a team, to animate and to express myself as a woman. Thanks to this training, I will help my sisters pass the graduation exam, overcome their shyness, stand for the rights of our village and give them a better future .
Before my Girl Leader training, I would never have imagined learning so much. I did not know that through education, a girl could be a great farmer. I will do all my best so that no girls drop out of school and make sure they all graduate.
Before my first meeting with the Girls Group in the village, I was nervous that I would be humiliated. But as soon as I started, the girls were careful and respectful. They understood that it is good for them and that was helpful and gave me a hope.
