In July of 2007, a team of eight, including myself, went on trip to Mali in West Africa with Heal the World, Inc. Our immediate objective was to tutor students in English in preparation for the TOEFL exam. On the other hand, our long-term objective is to raise the standard of education in Mali.

Why Mali? Here are some facts:

·       It’s a former French colony located in sub-Saharan West Africa.

·       The 4th poorest country in the entire world.

·       Life expectancy is only 48 years

·       22% of children die before the age of 5 

·       The average income is less than $400 US per year

·       Only 19% of adults, ages 15 and older, are literate

Without education there is no development, and Mali is very still a developing country. As you know, children are the future. So to invest in Mali's future, we chose to invest in their youth. We partnered with the Christian non-profit organization YWAM (Youth with a Mission) and found 40 high school seniors with a baseline in English. We taught, tested, and prepped them for the TOEFL for an entire month. The exam is SAT-like and is needed to apply to colleges in the US if you come from a non-English speaking country. As a follow up, we sent an intern to live in Mali for nine months to tutor the top students. We had planned to sponsor the very top students with college scholarships in the US, if they are accepted.

That was only the beginning. By God’s grace, one our students, named Ariel, passed the exam, and was accepted to both Biola University and Azusa Pacific University. He will be attending Azusa this Fall of 2008. Having it all in perspective, it’s an honor to have been part of this project and to witness the fruits of our labor.

The experience I took with me was invaluable as well. Mali is mostly a Muslim country with a 1% Christian population. Things like female genital mutilation are still common even though it's not a religious duty. Often old culture supersedes new religion.  But people of Mali are very kind and hospitable, especially our Christian brothers and sisters there. I realized that in a big way when I got very sick the first morning in Koutiala. I could barely eat the bread and tea for breakfast because I was crying so much out of my shell shock and anxiety. I was sick for almost 4 days, and I stayed in bed most of that time. I couldn’t hold food down, and I was very tired.

Everyone was so caring. The whole YWAM base soon found out about me and regularly asked how I was doing. The language barrier was pretty frustrating because everyone speaks French, but I managed. The girls who generously stayed with me in the classroom at night were very sweet. They would bring me bread for breakfast, and even take me to the shower to make sure I didn’t fall over from being dizzy or weak. One nurse brought me a porridge type soup the first night because I couldn’t handle solids and another brought me crackers.

As soon as I was well, I was reassigned my seven students. My students spoke 3 languages including French and the trade language, Bambara. They’re very smart and funny too. Their high school education is actually more difficult than in the U.S. - not everyone passes. They even have to choose a major like in college. The thing I like the most about them is that they are not self-oriented but society-oriented. In other words, they want to improve themselves for the sake of their families and their country rather then themselves. I learned this from the many essays we made them write. Their motivation is outward focused instead of inward focused. Here in the States, on the other hand, we are motivated by self-interest. For example, we say "I don't want to do drugs because it would harm my body and I want to be a doctor." They say, "I don't want to do drugs because it would disgrace my family and harm my society, and I want to help my society." Big difference!

I would like to think that I put others before myself as it says in the scriptures, but being with those kids and the people, and thinking about them again, really helps me reevaluate my actions and motivations.

                                  __________________________________________________

Just to place you in the scenery….

Imagine going to a rural city, a place much different from the big city. To get there requires a 5 hour bus ride from the capital city with no air conditioning and livestock on the roof. Imagine the largest buildings only being two stories high. Imagine the people living in mud brick houses. Few have the basic necessities of running water, electricity, and toilets. There, this is considered well off. Imagine children working hard - most of the shepherds and herders being little boys. Imagine almost getting run over by a renegade cow being chased by a shepherd boy. Imagine the weather being super hot and humid, and being bit by mosquitoes a lot, especially on the feet.  Imagine it’s the rainy season, so the once dry barren fields are covered in green. Imagine the soil of the unpaved roads red with iron, and the people commuting on motorbikes, but only if they can afford the US $500 for them. You can’t find a grocery store, only makeshift booths in an outdoor marketplace. Imagine people speaking to you in French, but you’re not in France. This is Mali.

by: Lola Ajigbotafe