35 Street Kids of Kalabankoro start to receive an education

Some Koranic teachers in Mali use their students as a means to improve their own wealth. They exploit them by forcing their students to beg on the streets and taking for themselves what the boys earned. Not only do these children not get the education their parents were promised, but their health and general wellbeing is severely jeopardised.

There is a general feeling in the Mali community that students of the Koran are burdens of society. This is because after their teaching is finished they find it very hard to get a job. They have no skills or general knowledge to go back into Malian society. Often they turn back to living on the streets.

There are 35 such Koranic students living and working on the streets in Kalabancoro Kulaba. They are aged between 4 and 10 years old and the reality of the lives of these boys is harsh. They are expected to beg on the streets during the day, often going without food. They memorise the Koran, but have no exposure to any other form of education.

Youchaou Traore approached the Koranic teacher with the idea of supplementing the boys’ education with French classes. With the ability to read and write in French, the boys will later be able to find paid jobs and take a more active and productive role in Malian society. The Koranic teacher accepted the proposal of French literacy classes for his students.

Progress is swift in the French classes, the boys can read the alphabet and speak simple phrases in French. When you meet them on the street they greet you with a ¨Bonjour Madame/Monsieur. Ça va?¨

We hope to support the boys in the future through vocational training with skilled community members who will teach the boys a trade, again increasing their chances of finding a job once their Koranic studies have been completed.

We have all fallen in love with these energetic and friendly boys and we need your support to be able to continue this program. If you would like to help us support these kids.