A Malian's Musings about Music & Mali
Not A Good Look For Female Youth Literacy
* Click on picture for full image size and quality
** I took this picture at “Sougou Ni Koura” market in downtown Bamako. It shows a daughter helping her mother carry daily supplies to her food stand. This picture may bring a smile to your face, until you stop to consider the grim reality it portrays: A country with one of the lowest literacy rates in the World. Someone in this picture should have been in a classroom….
A few stats (courtesy of UNICEF):
| Youth Literacy Rate (15-24 years) Male | 36% |
| Youth Literacy Rate (15-24yrs) Female | 23% |
| Net Primary School Attendance, Male | 45% |
| Net Primary School Attendance, Female | 33% |
| Public expenditure on education as % of GDP | 3.8% |
Now how do we get these so-called “leaders” to focus a little-less on their pockets and a little more on our future….?
One Response to “Not A Good Look For Female Youth Literacy”
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Ssidy is what my friends call me. I was born in Senegal of Malian parents (hence my Mali nationality). I grew up all over the place…Bamako, London, Accra, Cape Town, before I went to college in Miami and finally got a job in Sydney where I’ve been living since August 2008.
When I’m not working on The Timbuktu Project, or as a financial analyst (full-time), you can usually catch me somewhere on a football pitch or involved in anything music related. Music is everything to me. Whatever mood I am in, there is always a song that captures the moment perfectly. Anyone who has spent more than 10 minutes around me will probably attest to this: I listen to all types of stuff.....possibly because no single genre holds enough songs to quench that musical thirst of mine... 
This picture speaks louder than words. I am even speechless… I am now trying to imagine what this child’s life could be with a proper education and a family/country that doesn’t fail her!