Build a school for 120 children in Timbuktu, Mali

Dear Supporters of our Bantam school construction project on Global Giving:

I wanted to send you an update on our Bantam school construction project of 2016/17, Caravan to Class’ 10^th school construction project in village around Timbuktu since 2010.

I’m excited to report that we have completed construction and will be inaugurating the Bantam school in a few weeks. Thanks to your generous donations, more that 120 children will now have the opportunity to receive an education in an actual school building. This brings us one step closer to Caravan To Class’ primary goal of bringing education, hope, and progress to thousands of children in villages around Timbuktu. 

The village of Bantam was founded in the 1600s by a Tuareg woman (as the story goes) who moved from the Gao region of Mali to find a place on the side of the Niger river not far from the trading town of Timbuktu. This village of close to 700 residents is composed of ethnic Songhays, Peuls (cattle-herders), Bozos (fisherman) and Tuareg. The principal economic activity of the village is fishing and animal herding. Sixty percent of the population is under the age of 30 years. 

In addition to the new school, I am also pleased to tell you we have implemented a Female Adult Literacy program in Bantam, as well. It is our hope that, through providing literacy and education for the mothers of the children who can now attend school, education will be seen as a priority within the family. 

 2017 looks to be another busy year for Caravan to Class. We are developing a scholarship program to send girls from the rural villages where we work on to middle and high school, and possibly one day to university.  Our schools finish at grade 6, and the scholarship will allow girls to continue their education, bringing real generational change to the area.  With fewer than 1% of rural girls attending high school, there can be no better way to create lasting change in rural villages than creating female pioneer/role models that have achieved further schooling.

 I want to thank you again for your contribution to the Bantam school construction project. While Timbuktu is on the front lines of the world’s fight against global extremist violence, there is still much work to be done by the Malian government, the UN, and NGOs to create more opportunities, particularly for the youth, which will lead to a more secure situation. With your help, Caravan to Class will continue to move forward in our effort to revitalize one of Africa’s most historically important cities. 

 Sincerely,

 Barry Hoffner

Founder and Executive Director, Caravan to Class