Children aged between 8 and 12 attend crash courses which aim to facilitate their return to school.

Literacy classes, technical training, adapted teaching aids and material: the key mission of the SDC project to support the return to non-formal education is to provide 9- to 15--year-olds in Mali with access to primary education or vocational training.

Over 70% of people in Mali can neither read nor write. Around one million children aged between 7 and 12 do not go to school, while 46% of children enrolled in school leave without completing their primary education. The limited available space in schools in Mali coupled with the poor standards of teaching (which is often ill-suited to local circumstances and needs) are only two of the major stumbling blocks that the education system in Mali has to overcome.

The «Support for non-formal education in Mali» project seeks to remedy the situation by developing a range of education initiatives in the regions of Sikasso and Mopti. Its overarching aim is to facilitate 1,200 children between the ages of 9 and 15 to return to school or to embark on a technical apprenticeship of their choice (agriculture, livestock farming, market gardening, etc.).

Remedial classes

A remedial class gets under way.

Adult education initiatives
The project has also launched adult education initiatives. Up to 240 people, two  thirds of whom are women and young people, attend literacy classes which are taught in the local language. One quarter of them are then employed in the village reading centres set up by the SDC. The purpose of these centres is to help children to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. Other graduates of these literacy classes opt for modular training courses which will equip them with the necessary know-how to diversify their existing farming activities. 

Bringing local communities on board
The project is also keen to encourage local communities to become involved. To achieve this aim, it supports hundreds of communities in their efforts to lobby the Malian Minister of Education. The hope is that this assistance will contribute to upgrading rural education, as well as lead the national government to give its backing to the introduction of innovative changes in educational practices. With government support, these developments could be rolled out nationwide, thereby benefiting a maximum number of out-of-school children.

Brief description of the project

This programme has been suspended in Timbuktu due to the current situation in Northern Mali.

• Children aged between 9 and 15

• Technical apprentices

• Illiterate adults