I was invited to this ceremony because I counseled the new and first ever chapter of Junior Achievement in Mali how to develop their strategic plan. That plan was needed in order to be a recognized chapter by the JA international headquarters in Boulder, Colorado.
Regarding the school itself, here are some additional observations that may not be evident in the photos. There were no lights. Although there were light fixtures in the ceilings, there were no bulbs in the fixtures. There was evidence of nicely painted artwork on some of the walls done some time ago. More recent marks on the walls were more graffiti like. There are no screens in the windows or doors, although mosquito born malaria is a major disease in sub-Saharan Africa.
The students sat at tables tightly packed together, sometimes 6 or 7 to a small table, which itself may be tilting to one side. For each such table, there were 1 or 2 texts to share among the 6 or 7 students. The teaching method seemed to be for the instructor to write something on the blackboard (a piece of plywood painted black), then for the students to copy verbatim the written word into their small pads.
The ‘cafeteria’ was 2 or 3 women who had setup small tables with food in large pots. In between classes, the students would come out into the muddy courtyard (it is rainy season here), and pay for some food.
There are no toilets. The facilities provided resemble privies, or outhouses, but made of cement and concrete block. There were not very clean. Most of the time, I saw girls come around the end of the school building, drop their pants, squat, pee then return to class.
Every time we entered or left a classroom, all of the students in that classroom would stand-up in unison as a sign of respect. I saw some very happy children with big smiles in those classrooms.