According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), some 330,713 people were internally displaced in Mali in May 2024. In the Timbuktu region, more than half of all displaced people, including children, lack identification documents. This was the case for Deyloul’s two nephews.
How the doors opened for Deyloul’s nephews
Before moving to Timbuktu in October 2023, Deyloul was a peaceful trader, based in Taoudéni. The displacement had a considerable impact on him, causing him to lose all of his possessions – including his livestock.
“We abandoned our village because of the bombing. Many people fled – some, including women and children, travelled long distances on donkeys or on foot. Those who had the resources used other means of transportation. We took almost nothing with us in our panic. We lost everything,” Deyloul explains.
His nephews, Sidi and Maiya, didn’t have birth certificates, which meant they subsequently couldn’t go to school. “We tried to send some of our children, including my nephews, to school, but without birth certificates it was not possible,” Deyloul says.
As part of a humanitarian project funded by the European Union, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is working to ensure that vulnerable people can access their legal identity despite the ups and downs of life. Sidi and Maiya have now obtained their birth certificates and started attending the Koiratao Community Learning Centre in Timbuktu.
Indeed, once Deyloul’s nephews received their birth certificates, many doors opened for them.
“My nephews were illiterate; they couldn’t read or write. They can now read and write their names, thanks to the Learning Centre. In addition, they eat at the centre, which means they never return home with empty stomachs,” Deyloul says.
Deyloul is now more confident about Sidi and Maiya’s future prospects. “I see great opportunities in my nephews’ schooling. In the future, they may become important figures, such as lawyers, judges or doctors.”
This project, a partnership between NRC and the European Union, aims to address the urgent needs of communities affected by displacement in the Douentza and Timbuktu regions. People in these communities particularly need better access to education and support with legal documentation.
In the Timbuktu region, 1,902 children, including 948 boys and 954 girls, have already received their birth certificates and now attend the five Learning Centres for Resilience and School Reintegration (CARIS) and host schools.
A birth certificate is an important administrative document to which all children are entitled. It enables them to exercise their most fundamental rights – so the loss or lack of this document significantly affects their quality of life.
Before moving to Timbuktu in October 2023, Deyloul was a peaceful trader, based in Taoudéni. The displacement had a considerable impact on him, causing him to lose all of his possessions – including his livestock.
“We abandoned our village because of the bombing. Many people fled – some, including women and children, travelled long distances on donkeys or on foot. Those who had the resources used other means of transportation. We took almost nothing with us in our panic. We lost everything,” Deyloul explains.
His nephews, Sidi and Maiya, didn’t have birth certificates, which meant they subsequently couldn’t go to school. “We tried to send some of our children, including my nephews, to school, but without birth certificates it was not possible,” Deyloul says.
As part of a humanitarian project funded by the European Union, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is working to ensure that vulnerable people can access their legal identity despite the ups and downs of life. Sidi and Maiya have now obtained their birth certificates and started attending the Koiratao Community Learning Centre in Timbuktu.
Indeed, once Deyloul’s nephews received their birth certificates, many doors opened for them.
“My nephews were illiterate; they couldn’t read or write. They can now read and write their names, thanks to the Learning Centre. In addition, they eat at the centre, which means they never return home with empty stomachs,” Deyloul says.
Deyloul is now more confident about Sidi and Maiya’s future prospects. “I see great opportunities in my nephews’ schooling. In the future, they may become important figures, such as lawyers, judges or doctors.”
This project, a partnership between NRC and the European Union, aims to address the urgent needs of communities affected by displacement in the Douentza and Timbuktu regions. People in these communities particularly need better access to education and support with legal documentation.
In the Timbuktu region, 1,902 children, including 948 boys and 954 girls, have already received their birth certificates and now attend the five Learning Centres for Resilience and School Reintegration (CARIS) and host schools.
Sign up to our newsletter to read more stories from around the world.