Sali was born in a small village in West Africa. Her life was the simple life of a village girl. She and her family lived in a small house made of mud bricks. All the cooking was done outside over an open fire. Girls in this culture have many chores to do and often are not enrolled in school.

Sali helped her family by bringing water home from the village well. This task alone could take 2-3 hours depending on the number of women waiting in line and the distance she had to travel to and from the well. She also gathered firewood, did laundry, cooked meals for the family and worked in her family’s fields throughout the summer.

Yet, Sali is lucky. She was enrolled in school. Not all girls have that privilege. She worked hard in school, but it wasn’t always easy to find time to study and so she struggled in the traditional classroom setting and finally had to drop out of school. 

Then she was given the opportunity to enroll in a residential training school for girls. She was thrilled that she would be able to learn skills that would help her earn a living for herself.

This February (2024), she began the first year of the two-year program. Each day begins with devotional time. Sali will have classes in sewing, weaving, gardening as well as animal husbandry and other practical life skills. The girls take turns cooking for the group. She can’t believe she has this opportunity!