Besseikoro is an average boy in an average remote village of Mali. This 13-year-old boy takes care of his father’s bull and donkeys before and after school, and on weekends he helps to harvest the family’s corn fields. He loves to play soccer when he can. A truly ordinary Mali boy.

But Mali Rising supporters are about to make his life extraordinary.

Besseikoro lives in the tiny village of Sankama. Kids in his village attend a primary school through 6th grade. But after that they have nowhere to continue their education. The nearest middle school is miles away and their chores and safety concerns don’t allow young children to make the long trip. Like so many kids in Mali, Besseikoro is at risk of becoming another statistic – one of the 66% of children who will not attend middle school.

Without school, kids like Besseikoro are much more likely to continue to live in extreme poverty, have poor health outcomes, marry early, and raise less-educated children like themselves.

Besseikoro dreams of more. He says he “likes school very much” and he hopes to continue his studies and become a teacher himself.  He explains that his entire family is illiterate, but he wants to use his education to improve his family’s life and make his village better.

With your help, we’ll make his dreams come true. In 2018, we’re partnering with Besseikoro’s parents and village leaders to build a school right in Besseikoro’s village. Learn how you can get involved.

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