Why You Walk -- The Long Road to School

As all our Miles for Mali walkers start their journey this month, I thought this would be a good time to share a story from students in Mali about their own daily journey to school. Recently, our staff in Mali passed a group of girls on their way to school. They stopped to ask the girls about their trip. The girls were in the midst of their daily 8 kilometer (5 mile) one-way walk to school…

Kids Today...Are Pretty Awesome

The older generation tends to worry – or, let’s be honest, complain – about young people’s work ethic, energy, and even empathy. You can think of this as the “Kids today” cliché: “Kids today don’t think of others.” “Kids today don’t take initiative.” Etc., etc. Well Roshini Balan is proving just how cliché that thinking is.

Alumnus Younissa Uses His Education to Educate Others

Younissa Samake is one of our very earliest graduates. Way back in 2007, he graduated from Frances W. Burton Middle School in the village of Tamala – the third school we ever built.
Looking back on those days, Younissa remembers his favorite subjects were history, geography, and French. Learn more about where Younissa’s love for education took him…

Simidjila's Girls vs. Beneko's Birds: Girls Soccer!

We love gritty girls. Gritty, you say? Yes! Grit, leadership skills, teamwork abilities, and self-confidence are critical traits for strong kids. These traits are especially important for girls in Mali, who must overcome many obstacles to get the education they deserve. Thanks to our donors, we support the development of all these traits through participation with our new girls' soccer teams. Check out this blog post for news and photos from the first-ever, inter-school Mali Rising soccer match!

Mariam: Building Skills for the Future "...In Case I'm the Boss" Someday

When anyone strikes out on their own, it can be a scary time. For young women like Mariam, that fear is balanced out by the hope of something better.Mariam graduated from Mali Rising’s Cliff and Nita Bailey Middle School back in 2013. She is now 22, and working her way through university.

Textbooks = A Dancing, Singing, Village-Wide Celebration

Wow. I get excited about a new book, but the village of Beneko REALLY gets excited. I mean – they literally throw a party!  Thanks to the generosity of Mike and Bonnie King and dozens of their friends, last week we delivered more than 1,000 textbooks to our middle school in the remote village of Beneko. See the party Beneko threw to welcome their new textbooks...