Caravan to Class
On our second morning in Timbuktu, we meet Hamadou Toure at his NGO office, Nord Dev. Hamadou has partnered with Barry Hoffner and is the on site liaison and administrator for Caravans to Class. Because of the terrorism incidents in December, Mali Travel Tours was a bit hesitant about our traveling to outer villages in the Timbuktu area; we persisted and it felt totally safe and comfortable for us as we drove through a bare and sandy landscape,first to the completed school with four classrooms , serving the pre-school through middle school population in the town of Tedeini. We didn’t see the schools at their fullest cause so many kids were in town at the Festival.The kids are adorable in their attractive printed uniforms,the headmaster and teachers bubble with enthusiasm,the administrative structure is well defined, french lessons are neatly posted on the blackboards,and lunch is prepared daily in an onsite kitchen. Additional learning tools for reading and writing have been provided by the NGO USAID.
