In early 2011, Caravan to Class built a school in Tedeini, Mali to give children in the village the opportunity to receive an education. Within the first year, school enrollment in Tedeini increased by 500 percent. Caravan to Class has hired certified teachers from Timbuktu to provide the best quality education. We also provide two free meals daily as well as school uniforms and other school supplies. This school currently impacts over 100 children and has a steadily increasing enrollment rate.
Before Caravan to Class built our first school in the Tedeini, the children of the village had no access to formal education due to a lack of government investment in education in this area. Caravan to Class has brought education and hope to this community. However, given the armed uprisings in Northern Mali, the current situation has become very challenging. Moreover, the severe drought affecting the region further complicates humanitarian concerns in this area with the threat of war and famine
Kidnappings of foreigners in this region has hurt the tourism industry and caused many NGOs to retreat. At Caravan to Class, we are determined as ever to move ahead with our investment in education. In this challenging time, our practice of providing two free nutritious meals a day for school children has become even more crucial. Food insecurity should not prevent children from attending school, and in this time of conflict and drought, we will continue to provide education and basic nutrition.
This project strives to uplift children in one of the poorest villages in Mali by continuing to provide them with an education and the opportunity to become global citizens striving for an educated, equitable and tolerant nation. This project also aims to save children's lives by providing them with nutritional meals in a time of severe drought. Our schools are one of the very few sources of hope for the children in these villages and we aim to protect the children from the acute food shortages.
