A Donors’ Proudest Moment: Adama Diarra Becomes a Fire Firefighter in Mali

IN September of last year, I highlighted (WROTE) a blog on our wonderful former student from the Fadiobougou School in Ouelessebougou, Adama Diarra. He was born and raised in a very poor family in the remote village of f Fadiobougou. Fadiobougou is one of the Alliance partner villages where we provide our sustainable health and education programs.

His dad died when he was little, and his mother had to work hard to take care of him in a village where making a dollar per day is very difficult. She had to make charcoal and shea butter and other village tasks to make some money. Adama is so close to his sweet and hardworking mother.  Djiba, the Alliance’s Program Coordinator HAS always BEENS impressed by the love and courage he has. Adama always tellS DJIBA “I wanted MY mother to have a better life before she leaves this world. She has really suffered for me and has worked so hard so that I could go to school and be happy. So, I have to take care of her and make her happy one day.”

Adama STATES, “I believe in the power of education. It changes the lives of poor kids and gives them hope. Education has transformed my life and given me hope that one day I will change my family.” The dreams of transforming his family and helping his mother have become a reality today. Adama is among 550 selected from 27,000 candidates to be firefighters in Mali. To be fire a fighter means he becomes a civil servant.

In Mali, firefighters respond to emergency situations, including fires, accidents, chemical spills, flooding, water rescue, and other incidents which are risks to life and property. This full-time job will transform Adama and his family’s lives and provide them some hope. They will no longer worry about putting food on the table and paying their children medical bills and school fees.

Adama credits his early education at the Alliance’s partner school and internships as the foundation for his fire FIGHTERS competition and training success in Markala and Bamako camp in Mali. “Education has transformed my life and given me hope that one day I will change my family.” He continues, “truly speaking, everything in the military training field depends on courage, moral, and advice.” This young man will save and transform a lot of lives through his professional career.

Good luck in your professional career, Adama! Go ahead and transform your family and give a big smile to your mother so that she can forget the challenges she faced to raise you in very difficult situations in Fadiobougou.