dandy said:
how is the education system structured in mali? is basic education free, and do many children attend?
so, I asked my boyfriend (who is Malian, btw) about this the other day and he said that while primary education is free, you do have to buy books and notebooks and a school uniform. It's about $15 a year per child. Which doesn't sound like much, but can certainly be out of the range for some people. If they have a lot of kids, it is likely that only a few will go to school...the girls will probably stay home and help at the house rather than the parents paying the cost to send them to school. This is of course a problem of perception too...why should I pay to send my kid to school? As in, what is the value in education? If people see a real benefit in having educated children...ie. it translates into jobs, etc. they will probably be more keen to have them attend classes.
VertigoGal said:
Do you ever feel that if the media gave Africa more of a chance as a tourist destination (considering it's natural beauty, friendly people, etc), it would really help the people there?
Yes! Think about it...for every *responsible* tourist, money is being put into the local economy. They stay at hotels, eat at restaurants, hire chauffeurs and guides, buy handcraft souvenirs, buy gas for their rental car or pay bus fare...just to name a few things. Now, the only trick is making sure that money goes back into the local economy and not just into the pockets of rich foreigners who own the hotels and restaurants. But people who come to backpack in Dogon Country, for example, stay in small villages, usually pay a family to let them sleep on their roof and eat food with them. That is one way to be a responsible tourist. Others are to do your homework and travel with a local travel agency or stay at locally owned places when possible. To shop in the local markets and buy fruits and veggies, for example. And above all, a visit to Africa gives you a wider view on the world and will most likely change your life in some way or another. You get to meet people and they become "real" so that when you watch the news forever after, you will look at it in a different light. You can go back to the States and start educating others.
VertigoGal said:
Thanks so much again for doing this thread...I don't mean to sound cheesy, but as a teen who up until now hasn't really known what I want to do with my life, you have really inspired me. I mean it. I have always thought about doing something like this, but now I'm really interested.
So, of course, I've got a few more questions for ya:
This might be a *really* stupid question, but, ummm, you do get paid and everything right?
Also, what types of different positions do you know of that are within the Peace Corps and other similar organisations. Like most kids, I wanted to be a doctor at some point when I was younger, but now I'm sure that's *not* what I want to do with my life. (and they always make it out like you have to be a certified hematologist to even work in Africa.) What kind of qualifications do you need to have to do something like you do?
Hey, it's not cheesy! I know how you feel, because I felt and still feel that way. Believe me, when I tell people that Bono inspired me to join Peace Corps and go to Africa...THAT'S cheesy.
But in another way, it's totally valid. Everyone has influences on their life. And those influences, no matter how small, can have great effects.
A quick primer on Peace Corps...yes, you get paid. Not a ton, but you get a stipend based on where you live and how much it costs to live there. In theory we get paid on the same level as the people we are living around, but in actuality we get more...mainly because no matter how "integrated" you are, you still have some needs for creature comforts or the occasional outting to a restaurant. In any case, I have never been completely broke, although I have had to limit my spending. To join Peace Corps, you generally have to have a college degree. Doesn't have to be anything special, any degree usually works. But it will depend on what program (what kind of job) you are put into. There are different sectors such as Health, Education, Small Enterprise Development, AIDS education, Water Sanitation, Forestry, Agricultre, Natural Resource Management, and probably more I don't know of. Even if you haven't got experience in these, you generally receive enough training to let you do work here. Much of the experience is more about learning the language, the culture, becoming part of a community, etc.
There are LOADS of NGOs working in Africa...we have so many here in Mali, I couldn't even begin to start listing them. I don't know what kinds of requirements they have for finding work, as it depends from agency to agency, but what I have seen is that they usually want SOME background experience in development work. This is where doing Peace Corps can come in handy as a foot in the door. Or doing an internship with USAID or other groups.
Anyways, I hope that helps answer a bit of the question. Feel free to ask for clarification if I was too vague.