Meet one of our interns in Mali, Mandie. Mandie has since finished her internship and married one of our very dedicated volunteers, Djiba. Congratulations to both of them! Get to know Mandie...
Welcome Our New Communications Intern, Marissa
Bringing Teachers Together To Learn Together
Have you ever attended a job training or professional development seminar, only to return to work and find yourself totally buried again? (If you don't say yes, I've got my suspicions about you.) That's very much the case for Mali Rising's dedicated teachers -- although they long for additional training, when the finally receive it they'll come home to a classroom full of as many as 100 teenagers...and that can make sticking to new ideas and practices hard. That's why we're adding something new to to keep the lessons from our annual teacher trainings alive in the classroom...
Essay Contest Winners Announced!
Today Mali Rising Foundation announced the three top winners in our national Make the Case for Caring Essay Contest. This year's essay topic was: Why should an average person in the United States invest in educating children in a far-off country like Mali...what is in it for us? The top three winners are....
Proverbs From Mali...They Travel Well
This weekend I dug through some old files, looking for something I suddenly needed again. I found what I needed, but only after getting very distracted by something else. That something else was a small project an intern last year -- Salifou -- created. Salifou is a student here in the U.S., but he is from Mali. He gathered and shared some Malian proverbs for an event we were planning. I dusted the project off for today's blog because I'm betting you'll find them as much fun as I do.
What's In a Name?
It’s halfway through my Malian trip and I found myself in the rural village of Lofine. Mali Rising’s team is tucked away under the shade of a huge gnarled tree for the opening of a new school. The ceremony is chaotic, but beautiful. There were traditional dances intertwined through speeches of the village dignitaries as well as the board members of Mali Rising.I slowly lost interest during the painstaking translations from English to Bambara and reverted to studying the faces of those in the large crowd circled around us.
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.
Essay Contest Finalists Announced!
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.
