Mamadou Amadou Ly, Executive Director of the Associates in Research and Education for Development (Ared), was honored with the prestigious Yidan 2025 prize for the development of education. This distinction, awarded by the Yidan Prize Foundation, a global philanthropic organization, represents a historic first for the African continent.
During a press conference held this Monday, the winner did not hide his emotion in the face of this recognition which he describes as “higher distinction in the field of education”, comparable to the Nobel Prize. “This world prize has just been won for the first time in Africa,” he said, stressing that this is a collective victory for his entire team, for Senegal and for the entire continent.
The use of national languages at the heart of innovation
At the head of Ared for 35 years, Mamadou Amadou Ly has founded his approach on an alarming observation: according to the data presented, 53% of children aged 10 years in low -income countries fail to read and understand a simple text. The COVVI-19 pandemic worsened this situation, bringing this figure to more than 60%.
The analysis of blocking factors has revealed that the teaching language constitutes a major obstacle: 37% of these children do not understand or speak the language in which they study. In Senegal, a study has shown that 71% of CE1 and CM1 students are faced with this linguistic barrier.
“Using our national languages, we can transform the world of education,” said the winner, explaining that it was precisely this innovative approach that allowed Ared to distinguish themselves on the international scene.
A close partnership with the Senegalese State
The Executive Director of ARED wanted to salute the fruitful collaboration with the Ministry of National Education. The organization works in close collaboration with public schools, by aligning national policies. “This reform of use of national languages is taking on an extraordinary dimension,” he said.
Mamadou Amadou Ly also expressed his gratitude to the technical and financial partners who supported ARED in the development of innovations generating reliable data.
Thanks to this distinction and to the accompanying means, ARED and its partners will now be able to speed up their education initiatives. The winner spoke of the use of modern tools such as artificial intelligence to amplify the impact of their programs.
This international recognition confirms the pioneering role of Senegal in the search for solutions adapted to African educational challenges and devotes a long -defended approach: that of enhancing national languages as levers for learning and emancipation.
