This year, BKV participated in a truly unique philanthropic opportunity by providing the funds needed to build a new school facility in the village of Kongolikoro in Mali, Africa.
Administered through an international program called Schools3 (www.schools3.org), the new school building provides a comfortable, safe educational environment to more than 130 children in the area. The builder— with the assistance of many Kongolikoro residents—completed the facility in less than three months, after breaking ground in late June.
The ground-breaking ceremony was a full blown celebration, with more than 650 people in attendance. Participants included the chief of the village and his councilors; teachers at the existing school; political figures from the region; and many people who live and work in Kongolikoro, which has a population of 860.
The new facility is a giant improvement over the old school, which was a two-room mud brick building with broken windows and doors. One Kongolikoro resident had this to say: “If our kids are educated, they will be the light for the whole village. This school will bring great change in our daily lives.”
