Aboubakar Coulibaly

The boy, born in 2012, has so far attended an Arabic school, where he only studied the Quran. He lives in a large family. His father, who cannot properly provide for even one child, has taken two wives; he is the child of the first wife. There are seven children in the family, but soon there will be eight. The father works two jobs—as a butcher and a day laborer—while both wives sell fruit juice on the street. The mother dropped out of school in 7th grade, and the father never attended school. They live with the father’s extended family. Food is served twice a day. Boubakar enjoys going to school; his favorite subject is reading because it is "easy." He does not have a uniform and shares one textbook with his half-sibling. At home, he fetches water and washes clothes. He loves playing football; his favorite team is Real Madrid, and Mbappé is his role model. Once, he got injured while playing, but he continued afterward. If he could ask a genie for one wish, he would be conflicted because he dreams of both a motorbike and a tablet. However, for now, he says he would be happy with textbooks and a uniform. His mother says he is a good child and they have no trouble with him.