On Monday, August 27, 2018, the Embassy of the United States had the opportunity to welcome the three students from Kayes, Korotoumou Siby, Kadidia Sissoko, Fouseyni Sangare, and their mentor, Lassina Dao who have participated to the exchange program, spending 3 weeks in different states.
As part of the exchange program entitled “Pan African Youth Leadership Program (PAYLP, four young people from the Kayes region had the opportunity to stay in the states of Georgia , Texas and Washington District.
PAYLP is a program that gives opportunity to all high school students, from all regions of Mali of age 15 to 18, without distinction, to spend three weeks with a host family in the State and share about culture.
Upon returning from the United States, participants met with the Public Affairs Officer and shared their experiences and impressions about the program. They expressed their gratitude for the unique opportunity they have enjoyed and talked their ambition to contribute to the development of Kayes. To implement their projects, they intend to focus their actions on sanitation, drawing ideas from the experience they had in the states of Texas and Georgia, USA.
The PAYLP program, sponsored by the State Department, offered the four participants of Kayes the opportunity to take part in workshops on leadership, citizenship and volunteer activities. They had also visite the church and the tomb of Martin Luther King and the House of COCA COLA. The participants expressed their joy about cultural exchanges with their host families who spared no effort to receive them in their respective homes. “Americans are very nice,” they said.
PAYLP has also allowed them to cultivate in themselves the spirit of serving and positively changing their communities. We tell them: Aw Bissimilah Malila!
