“My name is Malado B. I am 20 and studying social science at the University of Bamako. I live with my parents in a rural area 30 km from Bamako, the capital of Mali. In my village, all the young girls of my generation have not had the chance to go to school and to go to university like me.
In the past, the lives of girls in our community was not so easy. Parents often saw boys as the ones who should go to school and not girls.
Those who were lucky enough to be admitted to school suffered physical and emotional violence of all forms. And even then, some girls who braved the difficulties were forced to abandon the course because of the poverty of their parents who could not pay school fees. And in some cases, girls were withdrawn from school and married earlier.
I am glad to say though that things have changed for the better for girls here. More schools have been built and parents are now sending their children to school - and more girls too. Some girls have been awarded scholarships by Plan while others have received vocational training to become tailors.
My wish is that all the girls in my village are kept in school until they graduate from secondary level. This will help to stop child labour and early marriage.”
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