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.

You Won't Be Able To Resist The Beat

We are gearing up here for our big Soiree on October 12. It is a chance to hear about the successes you've supported in the last year and what great things are coming in the next year.But this year that isn't all you'll hear! We are excited to have three drummers joining us to share the joy and beauty of West African drumming -- Deja Mitchell, Sekou Soumah, and Hakim Muhammed.

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.

Maintenance Is Anything But Mundane

All too often when I talk with someone about our work in Mali, they share frustrations with a project they were involved with in some far-flung country where all the good intentions fell into disarray. A well's pump broke. A classroom crumbled. A health clinic never received any staff. Let's be honest -- it happens. That's why Mali Rising's long-term relationship with our 21 partner villages is so important...

6 Fun Facts About Mali for Friday

As the Director of Mali Rising, I get a lot of questions about Mali from curious friends and supporters. So I'm always on the lookout for fun facts about this great country that has become my second home. On this pre-holiday Friday, I thought I'd share six of the facts I most often trot out when asked about Mali (outside of the serious facts about our important work on education!)...