Ouekorobougou, Mali
Ground break November 2022 | Complete March 2023
We’re excited to announce that our school in Ouekorobougou, Mali is now under build and will be providing vital education to 189 students (81 girls)! We have five wonderful teachers, teaching six different grade levels. We are also working with community leaders to identify and enrol more girls.
We couldn’t have done this without you - so thank you, you wonderful humans!
About Ouekorobougou and mali
Mali ranks 182 out of 189 countries on the UN Human Development Index, and half of the population lives below the poverty line of $1.90 a day. Ninety-percent of all poor live in rural areas, particularly the south where there is a high population density. There are more girls out of school than boys in Mali, and out of school rates for children from rural areas (63 percent) is higher than those for children from urban areas (35 percent). That’s why buildOn focuses its work exclusively on the rural areas of Mali where the need is greatest.
Factors contributing to the country’s high drop out and out-of-school rate include poverty, child labor, child marriage, and proximity to schools. Mali’s small villages and remote communities such as Ouekorobougou often lack access to quality school structures and classrooms, and a disproportionately large number of those living in poverty are women. The village of Ouekorobougou is a rural community of approximately 700 people located in the Sikasso region. Most community members are subsistence farmers who rear livestock and grow rice, cotton, peanuts, millet, and corn.
Meet one of our Ouekorobougou Students
Thirteen-year-old Souleymane is a passionate sixth grade student and one of 189 children in Ouekorobougou who can't wait to have a new school to learn in.
You can also tour Souleymane old school here:
the build gallery
