By Ousmane Coulibaly, Operations Manager
You never know what gifts a young student will find in a classroom They may find a love of literature or a passion for science. They may discover a vision of becoming a doctor, or a dream of being a famous artist. For Hamidou Marico, a graduate of Mali Rising’s Lareen Mellor Middle School, he found a love of the law and of his country.
Hamidou spent his childhood in the small village of Kassela, which is home to Mali Rising’s Lareen Mellor Middle School. In 2017, he graduated from our school and continued his education in high school baccalaureate in language and literature in 2021.
His time in high school introduced Hamidou to the legal world, and he was very inspired to make the law his future, Hamidou is currently doing his first year at the Faculty of Private Law at the University of Bamako.
Without the respect of the law by the population, Hamidou believes nothing can work in the country. That is why he wants to study and become a lawyer in Mali. Ultimately, he would like to become a judge to ensure that the law is strictly respected and enforced. For Hamidou, studying law will allow him to know his rights and duties as a citizen.
"Someone who doesn't know his rights and duties in the society is like someone who lives permanently in the darkness. Knowing the laws of the country allows us to avoid mistakes. The knowledge of the laws is very important, it protects us, it allows us to be fair and to denounce injustices,” said Hamidou.
He dreams to restore the law in the country in the future. According to Hamidou, the non-enforcement of laws leads people to corruption and injustice, so without justice and law, no country can develop. This is why he is very inspired by law studies. Hamidou's biggest dream is to one day become the Minister of Justice (a high government office overseeing the judicial system) in order to put an end to corruption and injustice in the country.
Hamidou is a very dynamic, curious, courageous and ambitious young man. As a hobby, he likes to travel, and he likes to explore the culture and traditions of Mali. For him, it is by loving our own culture and tradition that we can recover our dignity and honor.
Hamidou invites the new generation to respect the laws, because for him without the respect of the laws no country can develop.
