00:00 driven by a commitment to uncover the truth and inspire others.
00:06 French Guinean journalist Folly Batibo is one of TV's top news anchors.
00:13 As principal presenter here at Al Jazeera English,
00:16 she interviews world leaders and reports on some of the biggest stories of our time.
00:22 As the founder and president of El Ira a la Col foundation,
00:27 Folly is on a mission to improve girls education in Guinea and the wider African region.
00:34 An issue that remains a major concern for both governments and civil society.
00:39 Hello, I'm Folly Batibo. I'm a journalist and advocate for girls education.
00:45 From news desks to school desks, Folly's work continues to inspire,
00:51 helping to change the world with the power of education.
00:56 Al Jazeera English
00:59 Hey Folly.
01:08 Hi Guy. Welcome to Al Jazeera.
01:10 Thank you. Thanks for letting us in.
01:12 My pleasure.
01:13 Well we're here in Al Jazeera English, a place where you've worked for 14 years.
01:17 Must feel like a second home to you. Where is home?
01:21 Wow Guy, that's always a tough one for me to answer because I feel like I'm from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
01:27 I was born in Guinea, West Africa, raised in Kenya, lived in the US for a very long time, in France as well, and now in Qatar.
01:36 So my go-to answer is always it depends on which team is playing. That's where I'm from.
01:41 But no, I guess that in my heart Guinea is where home is because that's where my family lives.
01:48 And that's where I have my roots I guess.
01:51 So Folly, you've interviewed world leaders, you've covered many of the biggest issues out there,
01:59 natural disasters, wars, political unrest, some really tough stories.
02:04 Do those stories ever impact you personally?
02:09 You know I've been good I think at compartmentalizing my life in a way that my work as a journalist is in a drawer
02:19 and my life as a mother, as a wife, as all the other roles that I have is in another drawer.
02:25 And so when I'm doing my job as a journalist I try not to think about the other things.
02:30 But it's a very difficult exercise as you know.
02:32 It's difficult to talk about stories that affect children, wars, the impact of war on children in Gaza for example,
02:40 the impact of war on women in Gaza because I have children, I am a woman, I'm a mother,
02:45 and seeing the images every day can get to you.
02:48 Once or twice in these past four months I've cried, which I never do, because it's just so difficult.
02:56 It's as hard as you try to put a distance between the two roles, it's difficult.
03:03 And you're about to go on air very soon to millions of people.
03:08 I think a lot of people watching might wonder what it's like in these moments.
03:13 What are you thinking? Is it difficult to combat the adrenaline, to stay calm, to stay focused
03:20 when you're about to go out there and broadcast to millions?
03:22 I've been doing this for a long time and it's always exciting to sit down there and deliver the news to people.
03:29 And I think that's my favourite moment.
03:32 Before sitting down on the set it's always a bit nervous and excitement and you don't know what's going to happen.
03:39 But once you sit down and you start telling the story and doing your job then everything just falls into place.
03:44 I feel like I have a role and responsibility to bring the news to people in a calm manner first of all,
03:51 in an unbiased way. And it's always a pleasure for me.
03:56 I never get bored. Every day coming in this space is exciting.
04:00 Away from the bright lights of the newsroom and we discover another folly.
04:08 We're at the French School in Doha and you're talking to the kids about girls' education, aren't you?
04:14 You're also giving things, donating things, pens, books, toys, clothes, things that perhaps these kids might take for granted
04:23 to a school that your NGO has built in Guinea for 100 girls.
04:27 Why is girls' education so important to you?
04:30 I come from a family of five girls, born into a culture and a society which for a very long time didn't believe in the value of having a girl.
04:37 Didn't see women as equal members of society. There was always a preference for boys.
04:42 So my mother's lifelong goal after having had five daughters was to prove to society and even to our own family
04:50 that if you give girls a good education, if they're given an opportunity to learn,
04:58 then they can be successful and they can achieve even more than boys.
05:04 I've seen what education has done for my sisters and I.
05:07 It's allowed us to become independent, to decide on our future.
05:12 And that's what we want to achieve with La Fondation Elira à l'école,
05:17 which was actually the idea of my late sister, Kesso, who with her first salary at UNAIDS in Benin,
05:24 decided to enroll all the kids of domestic workers in her neighborhood in Cotonou in school.
05:30 So by taking on this mission, we're also making sure that her legacy lives on
05:36 and making sure that we help young girls in Africa and beyond have a good quality education
05:43 so that they can decide on their future.
05:46 I'm here in Qatar today working at a leading television network around the world,
05:51 but I think that my success as an African woman doesn't mean anything if I don't give back.
05:57 And this is my way of giving back.
05:59 Now last April, you were appointed global champion of Education Cannot Wait, the UN Education Fund.
06:06 What's that about? What's the mission?
06:08 I have to say that that was one of the proudest moments of my career.
06:12 And my mission as a champion is to continue advocating for increased funding for education,
06:19 to leverage my networks, to connect people, resources, talents, know-how,
06:23 and to ensure as a journalist that our collective storytelling on education
06:29 doesn't forget these 222 million children around the world who so urgently need our help.
06:36 And that's why I'm here today at the school to speak to the kids.
06:40 It's important that children who are in a privileged position today,
06:43 who are in this beautiful school with books everywhere,
06:47 with endless educational materials and supplies, understand the fortunate position they're in
06:53 because there are millions of kids elsewhere around the world
06:56 who are not as fortunate to have this quality education that they have today.
07:01 You're from a family of five girls.
07:03 Yeah, and I ended up having three boys.
07:05 You ended up having three boys.
07:07 What role then for boys as we look to a more positive future for girls?
07:12 I think, in fact, that boys, men, have the most important role
07:18 in achieving gender equality and women's empowerment.
07:22 We have to engage them to counter the harmful effects of masculinity.
07:28 They have to be part of the conversation.
07:30 I teach my boys and educate them about the perspectives and the challenges
07:35 and the experiences that women face.
07:37 I think once we're able to change the mindset of men and boys
07:43 about what a woman's role should be, then we're halfway there to empowering women.
07:50 Changing mindsets, empowering women.
07:51 Folly, it's been a delight to spend the day with you.
07:53 Thanks so much for joining us on the Diary.
07:55 Thank you so much. Thank you. My pleasure. Thank you.
07:57 (upbeat music)
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