Because of You, Sebela is This [] Close to a New School

Parents in the tiny village of Sebela in Mali, West Africa took a rare and impressive step when they decided to build their own middle school. The village parents were able to fund and coordinate nearly half of the school's construction before running out of resources. We've raised another 35% of the funds....and now we need  your help to make the school a reality!

Classroom Connections: Applications Due June 15

Calling all teachers, scout leaders, youth group directors, and the ilk! Mali Rising is accepting applications until June 15 to join your young people with ours in Mali. Classroom Connections is a fun way for young people in the United States to learn more about Mali and connect with peers in Mali through hands-on projects.

My Favorite Day

I want to take you all back to my favorite day on my trip to Mali. It was halfway through the week and we stopped in a small village for a meeting. I felt completely out of place among a large circle of people where I was undoubtedly the youngest one there, not to mention only one of two females. I remember digging my sneakers into the red sand to pass the time and eye-balling a few Malian students playing just a few yards away- dying to go say hello. I jumped at my first chance to sneak away from the meeting and cautiously approached two girls that curiously observed from afar.

This Week in the Field: Teaching Teachers to Teach

This is a big week for our teachers in Mali. All this week, 36 of our teachers will attend a teacher training with professional experts. They'll spend 5 days learning the best teaching techniques, how to incorporate active learning into their classrooms, and how to manage their huge classes (sometimes as many as 100 students in a class!). For those of us here in the states, this might sound humdrum. But for teachers in Mali, it is a big deal....

News From Our Girls on International Women's Day

Today is International Women's Day, but here at Mali Rising every day is girls' day. Why is that? Because we are very excited to be deeply engaged in the first year of our pilot Girls Project. Led by our intrepid Girls Project Coordinator, Hindaty, the Girls Project launched in autumn 2016 and is now going full steam ahead. Why is Hindaty's work so important?