By Ousmane Coulibaly, Operations Coordinator
In Mali, as in many African countries, the problem of youth employability is acute. After completing their vocational trainings and university studies, young people face employment problems. To cope with this challenge, many young people try to find alternative employment to make ends meet. But no matter where life takes you, education is a great tool to have ready.
This is the story of Fousseyni Samake, a Mali Rising alumni. He graduated in 2016 from Mali Rising’s Jade & Gabe Mellor Middle School in Seguessona. Afterwards, he went to study electricity at the Centre Djitoumou in Ouelessebougou where Fousseyni obtained the a two-year degree know as a CAP (Professional Certificate of Animation).
Fousseyni's great struggle began after he obtained his diploma. Coming from a poor family, Fousseyni did not benefit much financial support from his parents. He went to Bamako, the capital city of Mali to look for work. After writing and submitting numerous job applications to different NGOs and governmental organizations, he was unable to find a stable job.
Due to unemployment and financial instability, Fousseyni was forced to leave Bamako because he could not afford to live. This situation frustrated him greatly as he could not find a job with his degree.
As an alternative strategy to overcome those life obstacles, the young man decided to return to the farm in his native village, Zambougou.
"Since I could not find a job, after many difficulties in the city, I finally decided to return home. Today, I farm with my parents and brothers and thanks to God, we harvest a lot of millet, corn, beans and peanuts every year. Thanks to agriculture, we have ensured food self-sufficiency for the family. With agriculture, I manage to make ends meet. What I do, is use my educational skills to better prepare/plan our farming activities. For example, I have skills in French and math, said Fousseyni Samake.
“In our family, I am the only one who weighs farm products when the family wants to sell them (e.g., millet or maize) at the market. Also, since I can read the brochures and catalog of farm products such as pesticides, I teach our family members how to use them in the farm,” Fousseyni explained.
From those experiences, it can be said that education has been very important in Fousseyni's life, as it helps him to understand many things such as managing the administrative papers of the family and neighboring households, making birth certificates for children in the city. In addition, he also keep all the important documents of the family.
Fousseyni's experience illustrates the flexibility of education. Even though his college degree did not return the employment he hoped, his basic education is a tool he can still use to build a different life. We admire Fousseyni’s willingness to do what needs to be done to make a life for himself and to support his family, and we thank the Mali Rising donors who helped him develop these critical life skills.
