Imagine if you (or your kids!) faced a 6-mile walk one way to school each day. Do you think you'd do it? Do you think you'd be tired when you arrived? Do you think you'd have the energy to study when you finally got home at night? By donating, you can give the children of N’Goko in this remote, rural part of Mali a real chance at changing their lives through education with a new school right in their village.

By nearly every measure, Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world. Education is a key strategy to empower children to improve their lives, and in turn lift Mali out of poverty. For every year of education, a child will see a 10 to 20% increase in his or her future income.

But for many children in Mali, the walk to school is a barrier to progress. In the little rural village of N’Goko, after 6th grade the children face a choice -- walk 6 miles each way to the nearest middle school or drop out.

But you can change that!  Your gift of as little as $25 can build a new, safe school for N’Goko’s kids and set them on the path to change their own lives for the better. And, if you donate $100 or more, you'll win a chance to name the new school! Interested in sponsoring a whole classroom, principals’ office, latrine, or more?

Learn more about N’Goko

The Children

When we talked with parents in N’Goko, they dreamed that education would let their children grow up to be everything from President to teachers. In all, about 100 children will attend a new middle school in N’Goko. Meet two young people who will benefit from the new school in N’Goko — Djènèbou and Moustafa.

The Village
N’Goko is located in south-east Mali, nearly 532 kilometers away from the capital city of Bamako. N'Goko is a Senoufo word meaning "finally I am ending here." Village leaders say the village’s first occupant was a hunter and when he arrived in the area he found a pond that served him well. So, he decided to spend his life in the area and gave the place the name "N'Goko."

N’Goko is home to more than 2,000 people. Farming and livestock raising are the primary ways of life, and some gold panning occurs in the region. The area is more wet and lush than many Mali Rising school locations, with plentiful ponds and wetlands dotting the fields.

The Current Situation
N’Goko hosts an active primary school, with approximately 235 students. However, the nearest middle school is 10 km (6.2 miles) away. This means the vast majority of students drop out of school after the sixth grade. In an attempt to keep their children in school some parents send their children away to another village to go to school, but this is hard for the parents and the children.

A New School Partnership
With your help, we'll partner with the parents of N’Goko to build a new middle school in 2019. The village will provide the land and 20% of the cost of construction. Together, you and Mali Rising will provide the remaining 80% of the cost of construction. And, most importantly, we will remain partnered with the village from here on out -- making sure the school is maintained and real, quality learning happens in the classrooms.

Get involved in building a school for N’Goko!