Main YWAM Page, or to YWAM CommunicationsTHE COUNTRY'S FIRST Christian school in a generation is experiencing rapid growth, as Muslim parents line up to register their children for a place in College Samuel.
Around 160 youngsters aged five to nine currently attend the school, founded two years ago by Youth With A Mission to groom leaders for the 21st century.
One of the poorest countries in the world, the West African nation's 11-million population is predominantly Islamic. Most students at College Samuel come from Muslim homes, despite the inclusion of Bible teaching and prayer in the daily curriculum.
"Parents know that we teach about Jesus, but they want the good education for their children," said YWAM director Jean-Patrick Perrin. "One father wanted his son to come out of the class while we talked about Jesus, but we said that wasn't possible. He thought about it and decided to put his boy in the school anyway, and was so happy that the next year he came with his second child, and two nephews.
"The demand is so great that we could have 120 per class, but we stop at 40 because we want to be able to ensure the quality of education remains high."
The school was financed by donations from Mali, Togo, Senegal, Switzerland, France and Denmark. Construction of the two-story, six-room building was undertaken by a team of international young Christians - members of YWAM's King's Kids ministry from Mali, Switzerland and France. As money is available, the school will expand to offer classes through high school.
Involved in church planting, discipleship and relief work in Mali since 1984, Perrin saw the need for Christian schooling several years ago. Only a fraction of the local children were attending under-funded government-run schools at all, and many left before they had finished their studies.
A former Christian school closed down after the country won independence from France in 1960, but Perrin noted that "to this day many in high positions in government were trained there."
The director of College Samuel is Paul Sanogo, himself a graduate of the former school. College Samuel's name reflects its aim of producing men and women of character like Bible figures such as Samuel and Daniel, he said.
"We want to teach morals - righteousness, truth and true love - and we want to see our students become the lawyers, doctors and other professional people of Mali tomorrow. But more than that, we want them all to become disciples of Christ and have their hearts filled, as well as their heads."
Parents pay a modest US$2.5 monthly fee for tuition at College Samuel, which is staffed by YWAM teachers from Mali, Togo, Congo, France and England. Second grade teacher Charles Tudienu told how one day his class stopped to pray for one of the girls, who was sick. Later that day they came back to tell him she had recovered. "Now the children understand, and all ask to pray for their fellow classmates."
Return to: June 1998 Index Page
Main YWAM Page, or to YWAM Communications