Unfortunately in Mali many children do not go to school. Their families generally can not cover the school fees and furniture costs, or quite simply need their children to work at home or in the fields. These children, deprived from education, will speak only their native tongue and led to manual work for their future.
ALAD already helps children to go to school thanks to a system of sponsorship.
Donors from France provide funds to ALAD which will pay for the school fees and the furniture of one child. In return to the donor, ALAD will twice a year send news from the child by transmitting school results and a personal letter handwritten by the child. In general, a sponsorer will follow the education of a child until the end of his education.
During our stay we could see all the problems related to the education of the children, and we seized the importance to help them. The new generation will ensure the economy of the country tomorrow and must imperatively be prepared. To leave the children in the street or at home will do nothing else than increase the economic and social problems in the country.
With Delphine we decided to sponsor an orphan kid at college. To help him progress, to encourage him to work, and to relieve his family.
At the local school where we work, we are introduced to Oumar, a boy of about 12 years old, looking a bit contained and timid. We are explained that his father and his mother died in 2003 following a disease. His father died on a Sunday, his mother the Tuesday. Now Oumar lives with his brothers and sisters. His household is composed of 12 people and is managed by his big brother, Ibrahim, 42 years, who has the same father as Oumar but a different mother. He is a veterinary surgeon at the next village and works 7 days a week to support his family.
Oumar wants to be a veterinary surgeon like his brother, and understands that to achieve he will have to work hard.
We met with his big brother and had several times visited his home and the remainder of his family. His big sister is in the army, and is very pleasant and smiling. His little brothers and sisters are more timid, but return pretty smiles when we speaks to them.
Oumar seems to be happy with our assistance. Following our meeting, we can see him playing merrily with other children. Seeing him smiling pleases us greatly, and we hope that thanks to our support Oumar will be able to succeed in its life.
We asked her whether she would like to go to school, and she answered straight away with a large smile and a certain excitation that yes she wanted to. We then told her to meet us on Monday morning in front of the schoold director's office for a lomger chat…
We have now paid the school fees and of birth certificate of Tiranke, who has now joined school as we write.
We visited her family in the village to know them better. They live at 5 people in a small house made up of two rooms only filled with two beds. Outside, a small heap of ashes where they cook and eat. They all wear worn out and dirty clothes. Amara, her grand father, is filled with excitement when we give him a shirt and a tee-shirt, and Tiranke very merry and excited when we give her a local dress that we bought the day before in Bamako! Still using an interpreter, we explain who we are and what we want to bring to Tiranke. The grand father is very grateful and gives us his blessings. The grand mother a bit apprehensive the day before finally gives us a smile… After a quick family photo, we left them all chuffed and excited about this new meeting!
It is randomly in the street that we stumbled accross Tiranke.
I was playing a seven horses game with young people while Delphine was chatting with young girls. Delphine noticed this little girl who was the only one not to answer her questions. She realized that unlike her friends, Tiranke did not understand a word of French. Using an interpreter we discussed with Tiranke and learnt that she did not go to school because her family could not bear the costs of school fees and furniture. We also learnet that Tiranke was an orphan and now housed by her grand parents. Delphine was attracted by the personnality of Tiranke, who despite her lack of education appeared very smart and dynamic.
Also we bought 20 kg of rice to her family to relieve them from their poverty. It is seen that these people are in great needs and that a small present for us is a treasure for them…
Like for Oumar, we will follow Tiranke closely in her studies and we hope that later one day, she becomes a great businesswoman!
One Saturday morning, our class of support pays us a visit in our premises at ALAD to come to thank us for the week. Among the kids, one that we had already seen somewheree but who was not in our class. His name is Ibrahim but should be called Touba. He is in fact the big brother of Rokiatou, a young girl in our class.
Touba hands me over a small folded paper. I struggle to read the handwritten message which contains spelling errors in almost every word. I pass it to Delphine who does not understand better. We can guess the words `poor', `mother', `dead' and `help', enough to understand that Ibrahim is in search of assistance!!
The following week we meet with him several times so that he can speak to us about him, his family circumstances etc His household is composed of 12 people including only 2 adults. Knowing his sister, we known that Touba lives in a poor family. We also learnt that he lost his mother and lived with his dad and aunt.
Touba is very dynamic and merry. He likes to have fun, chat and often smiles. We ae convinced that if he continues his studies, he will be able to find a good work.
Delphine and me having already two kds for sponsoring, we launch an International research:
Who wants to help Touba go to school??
Going through ALAD, you will have to pay 72€ from which 66% are deductible from your taxes, that is to say a real expenditure of 24€. Touba will be chuffed to have you as a godfather. He will receive books, pens, ruler etc and his school fees will be paid. He will send you handwritten letters twice a year and you will receive his school results.
If you want to sponsor Ibrahim, leave us a message on www.loladel.com or loladel@hotmail.co.uk and we will direct you towards ALAD.
To travel on the roads of the world, it is also to halt for some time in countries, cities, villages, which need assistance, which need us.
Our round the world tour is centered on the desire to involve ourselves into the local life, thanks to the conduct of various projects that touch with the culture, the education of the new generations and the economy of the countries that we cross. We want to be active and put ourself at the service of the people in the need of our knowledge for a better future.
