At Mali Rising Foundation, we know that removing barriers to education changes lives. In Sankama, one of our partner villages, the impact of our Girls’ Project is clear. By covering school fees for girls, we’ve enabled parents to send their daughters to school — a life-changing opportunity for families who would otherwise struggle to afford education. Nantenin’s story makes that crystal clear.
Fousseny is Ready for French Class
At Mali Rising Foundation, we’re thrilled to kick off another year of transformative French language classes! This month, our dedicated team is conducting pre-assessments across ten villages to prepare for the 2024-25 school year classes. Over the past two years, thanks to the generous support of our donors, the French Language Improvement Project has helped more than 200 7th graders — and this year we will expand to serve 400 students!
A Gift of Knowledge: Textbooks Help Students
Access to education is one of the most powerful tools for change, and textbooks are a vital part of that equation. In Mali's rural middle schools, the scarcity of textbooks presents a significant challenge for teachers and students alike. Without adequate resources, lessons are harder to teach, students are slower to understand, and time in the classroom is less effective overall. Thanks to a generous gift from the Maxfield Family Foundation, at Frances W. Burton Middle School — and at all Mali Rising schools — this challenge is now a little easier to overcome.
What Keeps a Teacher Going
Mahamadou Doumbia is a dedicated educator with over a decade of experience teaching biology in rural Mali. Mr . Doumbia has served in various village schools, and for the past six years, he’s been a pillar at Ross and Marilou Moser Middle School. His commitment and passion for education led to his appointment as the principal in 2022, a role that has deepened his connection to the village of Nieguekoro and its families.
Principals Inspiring Principals
The role of a principal is essential for a school's success, especially in Mali. Our principals are not only the leaders within the school walls, but they also bridge communication with local communities and address school-related issues. They work hand-in-hand with school management committees, making their roles pivotal in shaping our schools' futures. We recently had the pleasure of talking with Abdoulaye Sagara, the principal of Little Heroes Academy II, at our latest principal peer meeting.
Helping Mothers Help Daughters
At Mali Rising, we are continually inspired by the stories of women in our communities who have found new opportunities to help their daughters through the Mothers' Loan Fund. One such woman is Fatoumata Doumbia, a mother from the village of Nieguenkoro, who has seen her life transformed thanks to this initiative.
Math Teacher Struggles: The Same Around the World
Math is often a subject that intimidates students in Mali, even though it provides many with the opportunity to secure good jobs after finishing school. As a result, many students try to avoid it, even in middle school. This presents a significant challenge for math teachers, who must find ways to inspire their students to engage with and appreciate the subject. Teachers committed to making a difference are constantly seeking creative strategies to motivate their students to embrace math. Recently I had a conversation with one of our dedicated math teachers, Amadou Doro, who shared with me both his biggest challenge and the secret to his success in the classroom.
Teacher Trainings Pay Off
We invest in teachers because teachers invest in students. Our year-long Intensive Teacher Support Campaign has a proven track record of strengthening teachers’ classroom skills, but we do not rest on the historical record….we grade ourselves just like we do our students. It’s only fair! :) This year participating teachers did a great job. Overall, teachers’ in-classroom skills improved by an average of 29% That means the average grade for a participating teacher went from an “F” to a “B”!
Going to the Source: Feedback on the Girls' Project
Investing in School Leaders=Investing in Studetns
Teachers and principals really set the tone for a school. That’s one of the reasons I love working with our teachers and principals — good leadership in the classrooms and the school overall means the kids can really learn and grow in our schools. That’s why I’m sad when we sometimes have to say goodbye to good principals, like principal Make Ezai Mounkoro of Sue Chung Chiu Middle School.We will miss Mr. Mounkoro and his steady leadership. But, when his replacement arrives in the village this fall we will be just as ready to help the new principal as we were to support Mr. Mounkoro. Anything for our students!
