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June 31, 2007 Building with Books site manager: Izack Diawara
About the village
Farakou is found in the circle of Markala, part of the municipality of Farakou-MassaFarakou, located in the fourth administrative region of Segou. The nearest town is Dioro, 20km away on the northern side. Farakou is a big village with 1,116 people. Farakou is a well-known village because of its history, and it is also a village of huge farming of rice and millet, and animal breeding. People make their living on the farming products and other income generating activities such as small commerce.
The first schoolhouse in Farakou was built in 1999. The first students enrolled in this school are now in the 8th grade. This schoolhouse built by Afrique Care in collaboration with the village is made up of six classrooms where 95 students attend class. Built with mud, the schoolhouse is in bad condition and cannot accommodate the increasing number of the students.
Groundbreaking of the new school building
On June 31, 2007, 200 villagers (119 men, 81 women and 90 students) gathered on the work site early in the morning. Many other people coming from the neighboring villages took part in the groundbreaking ceremony. Also present were representatives from Building with Books and Millennium Promise, the mayor of the municipality, the chief of the village and some of his councilors.
The atmosphere was so joyful that one can think that it was like the day of the Ramadan. After brief introductions, the chief of the village welcomed and thanked guests and partners for the coming development of the school. "Thank you so much," he said. "My villagers and I are ready to meet your expectations for the well working of this project. I also take the promise that all the school age children will go to school when this school is complete because we will have enough rooms."
The ceremony ended by the signature of the covenant - an agreement between the villagers and BwB representatives that outlines the expectation for building the schoolhouse. Then the mayor of the municipality, Salia Diarra, put up the first brick of the school.
Check back for more updates on the building of a new schoolhouse is Farakou.
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