My name is Bilaly DICKO.
I come from a modest family, a mechanical father and a teacher mother, in central Mali in Mopti. Very young, despite their meager means, my parents raised me with the values of work, effort and merit. And above all, they passed on to me the value of education for a child like me from poor origins. It was with this mindset of resilience and hope that I grew up.
I am a pure product of the school of the Republic. After obtaining my Masters obtained in Public Policy at the Hassan I University of Settat in Morocco, I decided to return to Mali to serve my country. This is how I created in 2015 a non-profit organization called LES LEADERS DE DEMAIN to train and support young leaders and entrepreneurs. So, with the team, we have achieved as an impact the creation of 100 jobs, for 48 professional internships and 35 startups created for a fundraising of up to $ 30,000 for micro-enterprises.
These results allowed me to be selected by the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders program initiated by President Barack Obama. Placed at Dartmouth College in the Track Business & Entrepreneurship. When I returned to Mali, I raised 25,000 dollars with the US State Department to conduct a training and support program for 25 young entrepreneurs in Timbuktu on disruptive innovation. The success of this project allowed me to be appointed Peace Ambassador by the Commission of the European Union to participate in the One Young World Summit in London in 2019.
These different experiences allowed me to develop a solid experience in the development of impact projects and thus to be recruited as a Consultant Specialist in Project Development at the United Nations Development Program in Mali. I worked on the strategic operationalization of the Accelerator Lab initiative, the establishment of Youth Connekt Mali, the implementation of TEF UNDP Sahel Youth Entrepreneurship Program. Also, Project Coordinator at International Finance Corporation of the World Bank group for the development of agricultural financial products and the integration of digital means of payment.
10 years from the 2030 agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals, my dream for Mali is to strengthen the technical research capacities of the Disruptive Research Institute to carry out research projects focused on two aspects: First carry out scientific research and data collection projects in areas such as the energy and water industries for rural areas hard hit by the effects of lack of electricity and water.Then develop innovative products based on energy and water needs for rural areas and poor communities.
The implementation of such a solution will allow on the one hand to set up a scientific data system to identify the needs of rural communities and develop low-cost and innovative products to improve the quality of public services.