By Adama Kone, Teacher Project Coordinator

Mali Rising’s goal is to see our students succeed, which means helping them stay connected with learning even during a pandemic. To that end, our ongoing take-home workbook project continues to make difference for our kids and makes many parents proud of their children.

An example of these outcomes can be found at The Mindful Bunch Middle School of Kafara. Students at this partner school have been working hard to make their parents proud of them. Although school was closed for months due to the pandemic, students at The Mindful Bunch Middle School have been working hard on our take-home workbooks, staying connected with learning and language.

Our last visit to the Mindful Bunch Middle School was an opportunity for us to talk with two great students —Ramatou and Ali — about the workbooks. They both to expressed their joy with the project and expressed just how hard they are willing to work to make their parents proud of them.

Ramatou is 15 years old and she is very happy with her father because he is so supportive of her education. Ramatou’s father always makes sure she has time to do her homework and tells her how helpful she could be in the future if she works hard in school. With his advice, Ramatou takes school seriously and wants to graduate from middle school.

Ali is also 15 years old and in the 8th grade. He lives in the village of Kafara and says he always studies hard.

Ramatou and Ali both think that Mali Rising workbook activity is amazing, helping them work hard and improve themselves. Ramatou thinks that she will be top of the school this time but Ali, as the monitor in the 8th grade, is also confident that he will win the best prizes. The prizes for the top workbook scorer are 10kg bags of sugar and rice in addition to pieces of soap. Ali wants some sugar for the porridge that his mother cooks every morning and rice for a delicious lunch he and his siblings will enjoy eating.

Ali and Ramatou have dreams that are making them bold! Ali wants to be a doctor in the future and Ramatou dreams of being a lawyer.

Ali said that a doctor would not only make him feel proud of himself but also his family. He will be supporting his family with money and build beautiful houses for them. He would like to serve his community after graduating from health school. Ali would like to come back and work in his community because a doctor is more respected than other workers in rural areas. Ali likes to sit and listen to his grandfather’s stories at night. His grandfather is about 80 years old and can barely walk, but he can still tell great stories!

For Ramatou, to be a lawyer is such a pride and will change her life for better! She will be rich and advocate for poor people in court. Ramatou thinks that to be a lawyer one should be trustworthy and righteous to make people feel good about them. She wants her friends to work hard and find success, because women can also change the world once educated according to Ramatou.