Dogon Country, Mali - Teenage Education Support project - Mali Experience Tours, African Travel & Eco Tours

Dear Friends,

Hello! I am the owner of Mali Experience Tours, and I am writing to introduce myself and to tell you about an exciting
new project to support teenage education in Mali.

When I was growing up in Dogon Country, I loved school and was first in my class. After finishing primary school
at age 12, I decided to move to Mopti because my village in Dogon Country does not have a secondary school. However,
I had to support myself because my parents had limited financial capacity to pay for my school or living expenses in Mopti.

After more than a year of trying to pay for myself by working in whatever way I could, in the end I was forced to leave
school and then became a tour guide.

Now, after working as a guide for 15 years, I have my own company and I have the opportunity to help other students
in the same situation, so I decided to give a portion of my profits for this purpose.

I have set up the Teenage Education Support program which will take primary school students who have excelled in
school and whose parents are unable to pay for them to continue to secondary school. The program will pay for all of
their educational and living expenses - including private school tuition, books and school supplies, rented housing with
security, food, electricity and water - for a period of three years of secondary education. The students, who are equal
number of girls and boys, must keep up their grades in order to remain in the program.

The first 10 students are being sponsored by an Irish tourist, Kay Saunders, and her friends and family. Another 10
students are sponsored by Sylvia Hsieh, an American tourist from California, U.S.A.

I am happy to report we will be celebrating the first 20 students finishing their first year of secondary school in June 2009!
They all performed with excellent grades and are very happy with their new life.

We are seeking contributions to expand the program to give more students this opportunity and also to build schools in
Dogon Country so that students will no longer have to choose between leaving home and continuing their education.

It costs less than €600, or $800, to educate a child in Mali in a good private school with all living expenses for one
year. It will cost approximately €36000, or $50000, to build a school in Dogon Country.

Please consider sponsoring a student or making a donation to this program in any amount that you are able.
You can email me at mikael@maliexperience.com if you have any questions or to find out
how to make a donation.

I am in the process of registering this project as a non-profit organization.

Thank you so much for your support and see you in Mali!

Mikael Djiguiba