By Hindaty Traore, Girls Project Manager
Because of the school closings with COVID-19, this year’s reopening of schools coincides with the rainy season. Usually, schools in Mali are closed from June through September so that most children do not have to navigate floodwaters and mud to get to school. As with everything else, 2020 has been quite different with students called back to school in the midst of the rains.
Despite this, the girls in the Girls' Project continue to come to school. Despite obstacles such as crossing backwaters to get to school, early marriage (many girls got married during the closures, but we have been working with them to be sure this does not prevent them from continuing to attend school). And when our girls are in school, our Girls Project must be there to serve them — hence the photos here of me wading through a stream to get to one of our villages.
Before the Girls' Project, when the backwaters filled up, the girls would have stayed at home. But now instead of staying at home the girls find a solution to cross the waters and to come to school. Why? Our girls truly, deeply understand the importance of studying and want to be in school!
