The African Executive interviews 24 year old Adama, Tour guide and Interpreter based at Bamako Airport, Mali about his experiences, challenges and achievements.

A.E: Briefly give your academic background 

Adama: In Mali, students take nine years in school, that is, six years in primary school and three in secondary school.  After my primary school course, I only learnt for three months in Dar Alhadiss (secondary) school, at Sokonigo town. 

AE: Why didn’t you pursue your education? 

Adama: As my parents were poor and couldn’t afford meeting boarding school fees, I was forced to attend a day school from an uncle’s place. The school was far away, making me to give up after months of trekking. Besides, my clothes were torn and I couldn’t withstand the taunting of schoolmates. I had earlier on tried to do some part time work after school but owing to the distance and the amount of time school took, I wasn’t successful.  I resolved to quit school. 

AE: What did you do with yourself then? 

Adama: I joined a local construction firm where I would mix cement, sand and concrete.  Sometimes I helped convey working tools to the masons. I later on left for Abidjan, where I worked in gold mines for four months before returning to Mali. With some of the money I had saved, I bought shoeshine equipment and started offering shoe shining services at Bamako Airport.

AE: What was your point of departure from this trade?

Adama: I met a former schoolmate who now worked as a tour guide.  He could speak English and made more money than the 1000 CFAs I was making per week. I had to buy some elementary English books and started learning the language on my own. After mastering a bit of it, I approached a travel agency and was employed as a porter. With time, I had known how to receive people, grasped the history of Mali and became acquainted with most Malian routes. I can now comfortably guide people who want to visit various tourist places in Mali.

AE: Why are you centered at Bamako Airport?

Adama: In business, one has to identify his market. This airport is my market. It is here that I meet people who are out to tour Mali. You may have noticed that all staff at the airport speak French right from the custom, baggage attendants to the security personnel.   Many English speaking people get stranded on arrival. They don’t understand the security instructions. They can’t communicate with people who change currencies at forex bureaus. They can’t even communicate with the taxi drivers. I always go to their rescue.  Some lose their bags and get a rough time sorting it out with airport personel who don’t understand what they are saying. I don’t know why an airport should not employ people who speak various international languages. Anyway –that setback has earned me a job.

AE: Do you feel fulfilled? 

Adama: Not yet. There is no time to rest for those who want to scale the heights. I have a lot on my hand to do. I’ve been paying school fees for my brother in an accounts college. I am happy that he is almost through with the course. I opened a telephone bureau for another one. I also feed and clothe my three sisters in high school.

AE: What do you hope to accomplish in life? 

Adama: To begin with, if my brother gets employed, I will ask him to pay my school fees.  I’ve been paying his all along.  I would like to go to school and master proficiency in English. My ultimate ambition however is to set up a taxi business that will set a good example.  The Malian taxi industry is not run professionally.  The drivers are not neat. They don’t keep their vehicles clean.  Most of their vehicles are not maintained. You get in and you can’t open the door to get out. It is hot inside and you can’t open the windows. It is drizzling outside and you can’t shut the window. This is disgusting! Most of them don’t operate 24 hours. To make it worse, most drivers don’t own cell phones hence they can’t easily be traced. I hope to set up a taxi company that will instill professionalism in the transport industry.

AE: Name some of the places you have visited

Adama: I’ve been to Guinea Conakry, Senegal, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Cotonou. I’ve made friends in Dubai, Germany, Greece, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Chad and USA, among others.

AE: Now that you are near North Africa, where many Africans are migrating to nearby Spain, given an opportunity, would you desert your country?

Adama: No way! I love my country.  I want to live here and develop it. Even if I went to another country, I would do so with an aim of bettering myself so that I can make meaningful contribution to my country.

AE: Are you in favour of sanctions against migrating blacks? 

Adama: Freedom of movement is a fundamental human right. There is a yearning for betterment in any human being. Instead of instigating sanctions on migrating blacks, ways should be sought to turn them into a resource. The Jews in Egypt contributed significantly to Pharaoh’s power (though crudely). Insulating ourselves from other human beings sounds a loud bell that we are not creative.

AE: Any last word?

Adama: The road to success has many potholes. One has to keep on fitting oneself with shock absorbers or seeking ways of filling the holes. Many times, these potholes are opportunities in disguise and need to be harnessed.