Although the !Kung San of southern Africa differ greatly from the people of the West African nation of Mali, both areas share similar problems. Both suffer from illness, disease, malnutrition and must adapt to the ever-changing and progressing cultures around them. What I have found to be the most significant problem that both areas have in common is that people suffer from a lack of education. In the book Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa by Katherine A. Dettwyler, there is a lack of education on proper nutritional practices, child and infant care, and basic medical knowledge and practices. The Dobe Ju/'hoansi have recently begun building schools to help children receive an education that will help them be better successful with the surrounding people and culture, but there is a lack of attendance at these schools. There are also many issues related to education in correct sexual practices that would help stop the spread of HIV and AIDS, in a place in the world where these diseases are at surprisingly high levels. The first part of this article will discuss the educational problems in Dobe Ju/'hoansi with their school systems. There are also many divergent views on educating the public about sexual health practice and the use of protection in general. This section will also address the education problem in Mali related to poor nutritional and medical knowledge. The second part of the article will cover the different points of view between the Western society and the native point of view of both the Dobe Ju/'hoansi and the people of Mali. The last part of the document discusses some recommendations aimed at solving educational problems and some of the steps that have already begun to be taken to help improve conditions... half of the document... nothing. “If you put all these resources into keeping children alive, without taking care of their long-term health through more extensive gardening projects and nutrition education programs, then you are just wasting everyone's time, money and energy (Dettwyler 1994 : 145) .”In conclusion, both Dettwyler's and Lee's books highlight the suffering due to malnutrition and lack of education in rural Africa. Both anthropologists provide an insight into the true nature of the many problems faced by people and how they deal with life and death in a completely foreign way. Even though both areas suffer from similar problems, steps are slowly being taken in the right direction to help educate people by creating programs and creating better schools. While both societies and their problems differ greatly, both are moving toward similar solutions.