A displaced woman from Tessit in the north of Mali gathers okra to sell in Bamako markets.
Life Lessons in the North In 2012, thousands of young Malians learned lessons in conflict, politics, and geography the hard way – through first-hand experience of territorial dispute, geopolitical instability, cultural persecution, and forced exile. Their struggle began in January, when armed groups in the vast northern desert region battled government troops for control of key cities. Within months the government was driven out of two-thirds of the country, leaving families with the hard choice of leaving their homes or living under an inhumane occupation force. “We are not here for our own pleasure,” explains the father of five who moved his family from their home Timbuktu after he was ordered to quit his job as a teacher. “What made me decide was not lack of work, but the future of our children.” >>