Get to know N’Goloba. N'Goloba lives in the little village of Zambougou, Mali and is 13 years old. This fall, he will be in the 8th grade at Mali Rising’s Denik Middle School.

N'Goloba likes to have fun, but he is all seriousness when it comes to school. "School is important to me because with education I could have a good job and meet the needs of my family. My favorite part of school is when I'm in class for a course because I feel comfortable and more motivated to learn new things."

After graduating from middle school, N'Goloa wants to continue to go school and eventually attend University to study economics. But he says when he grows up he wants to be a policeman to secure his country.

We asked N'Goloba to imagine his life 10 years from now. He says, "If I imagine 10 years in the future, I wish that my life is totally changed to positive. I'd realize all my dreams. I'd be a rich policeman who helps his village to go forward. I would encourage the children to continue to go to school so that they can achieve their dream because education is the thing that can help us realize our dreams."

N'Goloba's hero is Cheick Modibo Diarra, because he was a very successful student and then went to work at NASA. Diarra opened a private university and supports a lot of educational projects in Mali so that children can have a bright future, and N'Goloba admires Diarra's drive to give back to his country.

When asked what he will do if he is successful in life, N'Goloba has big plans: "When I succeed in life, I will spoil my parents with money because they made a lot of sacrifices so that I can study. I will help the children in my village so that they can study in turn. I'd build classrooms, and bring school supplies. And I will see that Mali is secure."

N'Goloba is thankful for his education. He thanks his parents and teachers, but also Mali Rising & Denik for the construction of our school. He explains, "If there were no school in my village, I wasn't going to be educated because the surrounding schools are far from Zambougou – 7 to 10 kilometers. I was too discouraged to walk such a distance to study."

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