Benjamin Coulibaly

A boy born in 2011 has attended an Arabic school so far, where he only learned the Quran. He lives in a large family; his father, although he cannot properly support even one child, has taken two wives, and he is the child of the second 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. Neither parent has attended school. They live with the father’s extended family. Food is served twice a day. Benjamin loves going to school; his favorite subjects are grammar and reading because they are "easy." He does not have a uniform and shares one textbook with his half-sibling. At home, he fetches water and does laundry. He enjoys playing football; his favorite team is FC Barcelona, and Novak is his role model. If he could ask a genie for one wish, he would be conflicted because he dreams of both a football and a tablet. However, he says he would be happy with textbooks, a uniform, and a ball for now. His mother says he is a good child and they have no trouble with him.