By Merritt Frey, Executive Director

Mali Rising’s Inspiration Scholars sponsors are changing lives. By donating a modest scholarship, these donors help our most outstanding middle school graduates go on to vocation school or high school. The scholarships help the specific recipients of course, but the gift ripples out even farther. Other students are inspired to study hard in the hopes of a future scholarship. Parents see their earlier investment in education paying off and enroll young siblings. And Scholars return to their home villages with skills and an income that helps their whole family.

We recently caught up with one Inspiration Scholar, Kadia Traore. Kadia is in the second year of her three year high school scholarship. This is what she had to say about her experience:

"My name is Kadia Traore and I am 18 years old. I am a Mali Rising Foundation Inspiration Scholarship recipient. I graduated from the Trujillo Family Middle School in Kouroulamini Tentou. Currently, I am in the 11 grade in Language and Literature at the Lycée [high school] Kalilou Fofana of Bougouni.

I like to study a lot because education is the only way for a person to expand their knowledge. In addition, when a person is educated, she will not be reliant on other people. Education develops knowledge.

In life, I want to become a doctor because I have much passion for this job. Likewise, I have found that without good health, a person cannot become anything in life.

I have some real challenges in pursing my studies. Firstly, I am not living with my parents, I am staying with my uncle in Bougouni and sometimes, I cannot find enough food to eat in this family. My uncle’s wife also mistreats me and she also gives me a lot of housework to do before going to school. Every day, I carry water, wash kitchen utensils, sweep the yard, and clean the house.

But last week, Mali Rising gave me the [annual payment for] my scholarship and I was very happy to receive this stipend. This money will help me a lot. It will allow me to buy food during school breaks. I will also buy some shoes and a school bag as well.

Mali Rising has helped me a lot since I was in the middle school. [When I was in middle school], they gave us awards and textbooks. and they encouraged us to study. Without their help, I was going to quit school. But now I will continue to fight until I will finish with my studies. "