By Merritt Frey, Executive Director
As the school year ends, our Field Director Alou is checking in with our Inspiration Scholarship students to see how they are progressing. Inspiration Scholars are outstanding Mali Rising graduates who receive scholarships to continue their education at high school or in vocational programs. Alou spoke with one Scholar, Cheick Oumar Samake, who shares below what his first year at agricultural school has been like:
My name is Cheick Oumar Samake, I am a student at the agricultural school of Ouélessebougou. I am in the breeding section, which focuses its studies on livestock breeding. I graduated from Mali Rising’s Denik Middle School in Zambougou.
I live with my uncle because my family is from too far away. It is not easy to live away from home because things are different here. I often feel nostalgia for my parents and friends. Luckily, I go to our village every Saturday and return on Sunday afternoon.
Before graduating from Denik Middle School, I wanted to continue my studies in high school or in a training center to be an electrician. Instead, the government referred me to this center to continue my studies in breeding livestock. I did not know that this training program in agronomy and animal husbandry was so important, but I appreciate that now. When I finish my studies I would like to undertake livestock breeding as profession.
In our class we are 40 students. Every day I spend at least 2 hours after school studying to learn my lessons. In our school we study math, French, anatomy, animal biology, the outdoors (note: pastureland, etc.), ethnology, hygiene, and safety. Animal biology is the most difficult subject for me because I just cannot understand it! I am not alone – there are many students like me who have difficulty understanding this subject. Even if the professor explains it well, the concepts are difficult for us but with courage we are going to come to understand it.
I like math because I understand it. There is no failure in our class because the evaluation system allows each student to catch up – you just have to keep working.
I was surprised by the large difference between the studies in this school and the studies we made in the at Denik Middle School. It is as if we have to begin studies all over again at the beginning! What we were studying I had never seen before except French, math, and anatomy.
If I did not go to school I would still be in our village or would try to go to work in the lounge of hairdresser for styling people. With my studies, I like having the ability to create earn my own money in the future, without depending on someone.
I am strong in doing people’s hairstyles and in playing football. I learned these disciplines with friends and training in the street. When I am not in school I go to the hair salon, play football, or go to visit my parents in the village.
The person I most admire in the world is the Director of Mali Rising because he gives us courage to study and he has pity on poor children. If I could have the chance to visit America I would be very happy because we all hear so much about skyscraper houses and the cleanliness of the streets. If someone gave me 100 million CFA (Mali’s unit of currency), I would help the people of our village. I would make a good road for our village, I would provide water taps for all the families of my village, and I will take many chairs to the village to allow the population to use them during major meetings or popular ceremonies.
