Project Report
| Feb 9, 2022
Supporting Education Amid School Closures
By Julia Nemy | Project Manager
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As the political situation in Mali remains tumultous, programs such as GAIA Vaccine Foundation's Teen Peer Education program are more important than ever.
A recent report from UNICEF assesed that in 2021, 1,664 schools in Mali were closed due to insecurity. GAIA VF's Teen Peer Education program provides a safe and stable environment for teens to meet weekly. The program gives teens in the Sikoro the opportunity to learn about sexual and reproductive health and how they can protect themselves.
In 2021, 1,020 teens attended the program, the majority of which were girls (733).
With your support, GAIA VF can continue to offer this essential program. Please consider supporting our organization today.
Thank you for your support to GAIA VF!
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Aug 10, 2021
Teens Making an Impact in Mali
By Lucy Tian | GAIA VF Intern
In Mali, teenagers are leading the campaign to raise awareness and combat misinformation about COVID-19. Meet Fatoumata, a 15-year old who hosts a radio show in Mopti, located in central Mali. Fatoumata is testimony that educating our youth leads them on a passionate and effective path in society. As a 14-year old, Fatoumata attended training programmes hosted by UNICEF and other organizations. With the skills, knowledge, and encouragement Fatoumata and the other students received from mentors, they were empowered to become voices within their communities. The Teen Peer Education program at GAIA VF also actively recruits the next generation of Malians. Focused on teen health education, the Teen Peer Education programs trains 14 to 18-year-old adolescents and young adults through an engaging and inspiring teen health curriculum that aims to address health issues faced by youth in Mali. About 113 teens are reached per month, all commissioned to be voices and leaders within their community. Donate today to empower and encourage young community health leaders!
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Jul 19, 2021
The Need for Continued Education
By Lucy Tian | GAIA VF Intern
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Education in Mali is free and compulsory up to ninth grade, or age 16. This is theoretically nine years of continuous, free education. However, the average expected years of schooling is only 7.5 years. About 70% of primary school-aged children are enrolled in school, and that percentage drops to 36% when it comes to secondary school-aged children enrolled in school. Barriers like transportation costs, supplies costs, and school funding restrict the number of school-aged children who actually enroll and attend school. Within the population of children itself, girls lag behind boys by nearly 10%. Home duty expectations along with childhood marriage dramatically decrease the amount of education a girl receives in Mali. A quarter of girls are married by age 15, and a third are married by age 18. More than 9 out of 10 girls in Mali are illiterate. Much of the consequences are part of decisions made without the child’s input, making them powerless to pursue education. The Teen Peer Education Program provides opportunities for girls to take charge of their narrative again. Not only does it serve to educate young girls, it mentors them to become community educators themselves.
Donate today to continue providing education for youth in Mali!
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