SOS Schools in Mali

SOS Nursery School Mopti MaliSOS Nursery School of Socoura/Mopti

Like the other Nursery schools that of VESOS Socoura started the school year on October 06th, 2008 with a total number of 238 children including 124 girls and 114 boys. Sixty three are from children Family Strengthening Programme (PRF), 30 social cases children, 9 from the SOS Children's Village Mopti, 136 other children from outside. They all come from the Commune of Socoura and villages in the local vicinity.


The key event of the Nursery school was its participation to the 'National Week of the Child' organised on December 25th, 2008 at the Cité des Enfants in Bamako. The small SOS drama band filled the audience with wonder through some shows (chorographical dances, sketches). At this ceremony were the wife of the President of the Republic, President of Fondation de l’Enfance (Children Foundation), the Minister of the Women, Children, and Families Promotion and many other dignitaries. Its was awarded a prize handed over  by the First Lady of Mali: Madam TOURE Lobo TRAORE wife of the President of the Republic.

 


SOS School of Socoura / Mopti

The SOS School Socoura is located in the rural commune of Socoura. Let us note that Socoura is one of the fifteen communes of the District (Cercle) of Mopti in the 5th Administrative Region of Mali. The SOS School Socoura is built on a area of two hectares. It is limited to the East by the SOS Children’s Village of Socoura, and in the South, approximately three hundred meters by the host village of Socoura. The school yard comprises 18 classrooms including 15 functional, (9 for the 1st cycle, 6 for the 2nd cycle) and many other facilities.


The SOS School Socoura opened its doors for the first time on October 06th, 2008 with a total number of 685 pupils including 370 boys (54.01%) and 315 girls (45.98%). This population is composed of the pupils of the SOS Children’s Village (96), pupils of the Family Reinforcement Programme (112) and the "Others". These "Others" are pupils who come from the surrounding areas of the school including the children of the working staff with SOS.  The vast majority are from families living in economic precariousness.  


For this academic year, the SOS School Socoura operates with fifteen classes out of eighteen built. The three others will open in October 2009. 


The canteen of the school offers to 360 pupils a balanced meal at lunch time every day. That makes it possible to improve the school attendance of the pupils who, at least, most of them do not have the lunch always guaranteed at home. 


In addition to the academic activities, the pupils undertake Practical and Extra-curricula Activities (PECA). Through these activities, we intend to build in pupils the taste of manual work.  These activities are amongst other things joinery, sewing, chair making, different baskets making... with the sheets of a local plant and gardening. 


Sport is practiced on infrastructures meeting the standards. These sporting installations are also attended by the young people of the vicinity of the school. Basketball, football, volley ball and handball are practiced there.Gender is taken into account in practicing all these activities. 


The total number of SOS School Socoura workers is 34 and composed as follows:

  • Management Staff: 5
  • Teaching Staff: 18
  • Support Staff (security guards, maintenance people, driver): 6
  • Catering Staff of the canteen: 5

From August 18th  to 20th, 2008 teachers benefited from a training course of initiation to the philosophy of SOS Children at the SOS School Sanankoroba. 


Let us note that life in the SOS School Socoura was characterised by some key events which are: 

  • September 24 2008: Sanitation and Afforestation Day organised by the community
  • October 13 2008: Co-organised with the SOS Children’s Village Socoura of the World Peace Games, (football match) on a vicinity popular ground
  • November 20 2008: sanitation meeting organised by the SOS School with the town hall of Socoura
  • November 28 2008: sanitation meeting organised by the SOS School in the Community Health Centre of Socoura
  • December 11 2008: visit of SOS Regional Director for West Africa and the Maghreb in company with the President of the Malian Association of the SOS Children

The staff of the SOS School Socoura, composed of young collaborators committed to make this new school a success for the pupils who attend it.



SOS Nursery School Sanankoroba

In the frame of the school year 2008-2009 like the other Nursery schools of the country the SOS Nursery School school year began on October 06th, 2008 with a total number of 246 children (118 boys and 128 girls) divided as follows:

  • SOS Village Children from Sanankoroba: 23
  • Family Strengthening Programme Children: 15
  • Other community children: 208

The nursery school contributes greatly to the pre-schooling of the host village.


The school year was characterised by the development of sensory, language and elementary mathematics activities. Toddlers also benefited from entertainment during their outings and walks in the entertainment park of Bamako, called «Luna Park». During the end of year party, they show their talents in choreography, traditional dance, imitation of other artists etc.


With such a dynamic group, the SOS Nursery school participates in various ceremonies for welcoming important personalities and in the host village’s activities. It participated in style to the recording of the television programme «We the Children» of ORTM (Office of Radio and Television of Mali).

 

 

SOS School of Sanankoroba

Located  30Km from Bamako, the capital city of Mali, about 1km from the trunk road 7, the SOS School, which opened in 1997, is located at about 20 meters from the SOS Children’s Village Sanankoroba.  With an area of 3 hectares and half, the school compound is composed of 18 classrooms (12 for the 1st cycle and 6 for the 2nd cycle) and various facilities.

 

The teaching and support staffs together with students implemented the environmental education program to create an attractive living environment good for working. Flower gardens and hundred of trees of various species embellish the yard.  

The total number of the 2007-2008 school year pupils (on 12-15-2008) amount to 802 including 424 boys (52.86%) and 378 girls (47.13%), SOS children 105 pupils. Pupils enrolled on Family Strengthening Program): 85.

 

Girls schooling, in the context of a positive discrimination is still valid. This political will is dealt with through the improvement of the girl’s image in school teaching materials and responsibilities (in class, sport, practical work...)  Initiation to computer sciences is done after CM2 and spoken English based on useful notional programs is taught in the classes of C.E. and C.M. (5th and 6th year).

 

In partnership with Biblionef, the library will grow with a supply of (1,500) books in the coming three years that will trigger the eagerness of teachers and pupils to read.   Practical and Extra Curricula Activities (A.P.D) give value to manual work and already prepares for income generation activities.

 

These activities are:  Bogolan (clay and tree bark decoction dye cotton fabrics), dress making (the school is equipped with 10 sewing machines), knitting, cooking and market gardening. These activities are taken into account in classroom assessment.

SOS Primary School Sanankoroba Mali 

The school canteen gives 355 pupils who come mainly from remote villages a suitable meal at noon. Each student contributes with a modest sum of 76 centimes Euro/month (500 F CFA).  4 donkey drawn carts ensure the transport of pupils coming from remote villages.  Convenient sport facilities allow practicing sport such as Football, Basket- Ball, and Volley Ball.

 

May and June 2007 school results were excellent: C.E.P. (Primary School Leaving Certificate (giving access to 7th Grade) 100%: 78 candidates, 78 passed (43 boys and 35 girls); SOS Pupils: Boy 3 and girl 5).

 

Brevet (D.E.F.”Junior High School Leaving Certificate”) also 100%: 72 candidates, 72 passed (44 boys and 28 girls): 100%; SOS Pupils (4 boys and 1 girl).

 

Two of our students admitted to the National Camp of Excellence received at the Palace of the Presidency prizes awarded by the Head of State of Mali, on 09/23/2008.

They received as gifts: a LAROUSSE dictionary, a cross-country race bicycle, and F CFA 25,000. They were: Miss Diko Hamady DICKO with a grade of 16.86 and Mamoutou KOUROUMA, 14 years and with a grade of 12.89.

 

A quite opened in-service training session took place from 20th  to 25th  July 2008. (The topics were among other: computer science, Tourists site visit, the rights of the child, AIDS…) Very fruitful educational exchanges took place between our school and some teacher trainer trainee from I.U.F.M.M Teacher Trainers Institute of Lyons-France) from 02-05-2008 to 02-18-2008.

 

The staff at the SOS School are composed of 42 collaborators. They are distributed as follows:

  • Management:                                                    4
  • Teaching and social:                                        25
  • Support staff (maintenance and canteen):     13

 

SOS staff are committed continuously improve the service provision to meet their motto: 'WORK - DISCIPLINE - EXCELLENCE'.

 

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