Frannie Noble interned for a children's rights organization in Mali this summer. She learned about the importance of coalition building and local level implementation. By making small talk in a courtyard, she learned about social interactions.
Frannie Noble interned for a children's rights organization in Mali this summer. She learned about the importance of coalition building and local level implementation. By making small talk in a courtyard, she learned about social interactions.
Frannie Noble interned for a children's rights organization in Mali this summer. She learned about the importance of coalition building and local level implementation. By making small talk in a courtyard, she learned about social interactions.
Summer internship in Mali teaches a rising senior about children´s
rights - and the benefits of slowing down
By Claire Gould Dr. Moussa Sissoko, enabled her to examine
the convention´s effect in a real-life setting. At first, it was difficult for Frannie Noble ´08 to learn to slow down - to spend time sitting in "I was able to see local level implementation, a courtyard making small talk with passersby the importance of national and international and having tea with the 15 members of her coalition building, and how a single country´s host Malian family - while she interned for a commitment to children´s rights is part of a children´s rights organization in the country larger whole," she said. this past summer. During her internship, Noble interviewed "It bothered me at first to be living with a Malian CONAFE members and researched Malian family that would sit outside the front Malian education, child labor, child trafficking door for the majority of the day," she said. "I and children´s right to participation. She later wanted to go to town, meet up with friends compiled a report on these issues, their history and explore." and the policies adopted by the government, as well as new projects that might be Soon, though, Noble came to appreciate the successful in Mali. This report, written in slower pace of life in Mali, and learned that French, will stay on file in Mali and her just by making small talk in a courtyard she recommendations and research may be could improve her spoken Bambara and distributed to other non-governmental French, learn about social interactions and organizations. simply observe the Malian way of life. While in Mali, Noble even found time to A rising senior from Cohasset, Massachusetts, volunteer twice a week at the state orphanage Noble wanted a nontraditional study abroad in Bamako. Volunteering, she said, reminded experience. After attending the School for her of the real children behind the laws and International Training (SIT), she landed a policies. "I play and laugh with kids who have summer internship with the Coalition des no concept yet of children´s rights. At that ONGs Africains en Faveur des Enfants stage it´s not about equal access to education (CONAFE), a children´s rights organization in and the right to freedom of religion - they care Bamako, Mali. that someone wants to play with them, pick them up and give them one-on-one attention," A student in the Toor s Center for she said. "Although my interest in children´s International Studies and the Liberal Arts rights remains strong, I know now that it is the (CISLA) certificate program, Noble had children and not the policies that mean the studied the United Nation´s Convention on the most to me." Rights of the Child and the implementation of the ratified recommendations regarding the After graduation, Noble hopes to further civil, political, economic, social and cultural pursue her interests in international issues rights of children. Interning with CONAFE concerning children and families with and working with the organizations president, graduate studies in social work and law.