inside peeks

Meet Our Newest Board Member!

We've been remiss in introducing Mali Rising's newest member of the board of directors -- Courtney Colter. Courtney joined our board last fall, and jumped right into the thick of things by filling her table at the annual Soiree with generous friends and family. Since then, she's been helping out by lending her expertise in finance to make sure we're running a tight ship. In fact, at our January board meeting Courtney was elected our board Treasurer.

A Little Secret: The Most Fun Way to Support Mali Rising's Kids

Want to be let in on a little secret? Of course you do -- we all love secrets.All right then: Personally, I think the most fun and rewarding way to get involved with giving to Mali Rising is through our sustainer program -- the Villagers.

Ready For Some Friday Fun? So Are We.

It's Friday afternoon here at Mali Rising's U.S. offices and we're feeling a little slap-happy. So, I thought I'd share a short video from our recent school expedition in Mali. Please feel free to laugh as I try to learn that most basic of skills for a Mali woman -- how to carry water on my head. A three-year-old child can do it. But can I?

Come to Mali With Us...Via Social Media

For the first several weeks of November, the Mali Rising's U.S. staff will head to Mali to spend time with our Mali staff and students. We'll visit 18 schools, catch up with Inspiration Scholars, visit potential new partner villages, and more. Along the way we'll see some sights and have some fun. We wish you could all come a long for the journey. Luckily, via social media you can actually kind of be there...

Wow! Our Generous Supporters Made This A GREAT School Year!

Wow. Our supporters are amazing. Because of their generosity at the 2017 Soirée, we far exceeded our fundraising goal for the evening -- that means more books, better trained teachers, increased hygiene education, additional scholarships, and just plain more learning for our students. 

A Girl Scout Gives Back

Here at Mali Rising, we love Girl Scouts. Last year, we partnered with a troop based near our Utah office. We connected that troop with one of our Girls Groups at our school in Kolimba, Mali and the troop sent colorful, thoughtful letters of encouragement to the girls in Mali. At that troop meeting last year, we discussed various barriers to girls' education in Mali. One scout -- Skyler Dey -- took that discussion to heart. She decided to focus on a solution to one of those barriers -- a lack of supplies for managing girls' periods.

Get To Know Our Talented Field Director, Alou Doumbia

Mali Rising is lucky to have to very dedicated staff in Mali. In this blog post, we feature our Field Director, Alou Doumbia. Alou has worked for Mali Rising since January 6, 2013. As the Field Director, Alou is in charge of the Mali office, and is a true jack-of-all-trades. We’re lucky to have Alou keeping the great work going on the ground in Mali every day, and so we wanted to share a little background on his work with Mali Rising's supporters.

If The Way To Your Heart Is Through Your Stomach...

If the way to your heart is through your stomach, you will soon be in love with Mali Rising. Or at least you will be if you get your tickets to the 2017 Soiree. I'm just back from an amazing taste testing with the great folks at LUX Catering & Events. LUX is a Gold Sponsor of our upcoming Soiree celebration, and they have pulled out all the stops on a menu you're going to love.