MALI / EDUCATION

The village of Dougouba in Mali has resisted formal education for decades and as little as 15 years ago, had no schools. UNICEF and its partners have built three new schools, now serving the educational needs of all the children in the village. UNICEF

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:04:30
• Production Date: 25 June 2011
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND - UNICEF
• Subject Topical: EDUCATION; EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS
• Geographic Subject: MALI
• MAMS Id: U110625b

Description

STORY: MALI / EDUCATION
TRT: 4.30
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: BAMBARA / FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 28 MARCH 2011, DOUGOUBA, MALI

Shotlist

1. Various shots, family getting ready for school.
2. SOUNDBITE (Bambara) Sanata Diaw, grandmother:
"In my day we had no schools in the village, just Koranic education at the mosque, but now these children have the good luck to have a school here."
3. Various shots, children going to school
4. Wide shot, children going into the ECD center
5. Various shots, children in school
6. SOUNDBITE (French), Modibo Kane Sissoko, headmaster:
"The three schools complement each-other. The ECD centre prepares the children for school. Then, when they are old enough, they attend the formal primary school. The NFE centre is for those children who dropped out or did not ever get the chance to go to school. By giving all of the children in the village the opportunity to attend one of these schools, this community is working to fight illiteracy. "
7. Various shots, children at school
8. Various shots, ECD centre
9. SOUNDBITE (Bambara) Kadidia Djiré, ECD teacher:
"There is a big difference between those children who attend ECD and those who do not. Those who came from the ECD are more sociable, active and alert and they have already developed school habits, so it is easy for them to adapt to school."
10. Various shots, mosque
11. Med shot, grandmother helping young girl to wash her hands
54. SOUNDBITE (Bambara) Sarata Mariko, mother:
"Sending our children to school is good for the whole family. At school they learn good habits like washing hands that we now practice at home."
13. Various shots, NFE classroom

Storyline

A new day begins for the children of the Traore family in the village of Dougouba in Mali, and with it comes the busy morning routine of getting ready for school.

SOUNDBITE (Bambara) Sanata Diaw, grandmother:
"In my day we had no schools in the village, just Koranic education at the mosque, but now these children have the good luck to have a school here."

Just 15 years ago there were no schools in Dougouba, in fact this community had resisted the idea of formal education for decades.

But today there are three schools that are serving the specific needs of all of the children of the village.

Each of the five Traore children attends classes.

Five-year-old Arhama gets dropped off at an early childhood development center or ECD, it caters to the community’s pre-schoolers.

Her brother Yaya 11 and sister Nana, 8, go to the primary school, while the oldest children, 13-year-old Wasa and 15-year-old Moussa, attend non-formal education classes, or NFE.

SOUNDBITE (French), Modibo Kane Sissoko, Headmaster
"The three schools complement each-other. The ECD centre prepares the children for school. Then, when they are old enough, they attend the formal primary school. The NFE centre is for those children who dropped out or did not ever get the chance to go to school. By giving all of the children in the village the opportunity to attend one of these schools, this community is working to fight illiteracy. "

This "child-friendly/girl-friendly" approach is part of the UNICEF-supported program to bring basic quality education to all children age 3-18 in vulnerable communities.

UNICEF supports the Ministry of Education at the National, Regional and Local leve as well as teachers’ academies to implement the child friendly, girl friendly model throughout Mali.

Nearly half of Mali’s of 14.5 million people survive on less than a dollar a day. With such deprivation, 85 per cent of children do not have access to basic social services and more than half of the population is illiterate

Providing education for all is essential to help break the country’s cycle of poverty and illiteracy.

That process begins with the ECDs.

SOUNDBITE, (Bambara) Kadidia Djiré, ECD teacher
"There is a big difference between those children who attend ECD and those who do not. Those who came from the ECD are more sociable, active and alert and they have already developed school habits, so it is easy for them to adapt to school."

But the path to education here has not been an easy one.

Like many rural areas in Mali, Dougouba is governed by Islamic tradition. It took time for the community to embrace an education that was non-religious.

SOUNDBITE, (Bambara), Sarata Mariko, mother
"Sending our children to school is good for the whole family. At school they learn good habits like washing hands that we now practice at home."

While many challenges remain, innovative education models like this are helping UNICEF and its partners bring education to all of Mali’s children.

Making sure that every child has the opportunity to learn and develop to their fullest potential.