by Merritt Frey, Executive Director

Generous folks like you are often curious about how to help our students out, so today I want to provide a round up of 7 current opprotunities. These volunteer openings are ready for you right now, and all can be done from anywhere around the US (and some from anywhere in the world). Read on to see if one of these is the right way for you to get involved….

1.Notes of Encouragement
Write short notes of encouragement to students in Mali to help them practice their English and let them know someone is rooting for them. This is great if you want to contribute one hour or twenty — it is a flexible, cirtual task. This opprotunity is also good for individuals, families, or groups. Simply create your notes, scan them, and send them to us. We’ll do the rest. Learn more and sign up.

2. Read to Mali
Pick your favorite children’s book or short story and video yourself reading it aloud. We’ll add your video to our virtual libraries for teachers to use to liven up English classes in Mali, where videos AND story books are in short supply! Learn more and sign up.

3. Bravo Braclets Leaders. Only 3 available!
This is our newest volunteer activity. We need 3 Bravo Bracelet team leaders to gather a group of 5 or more other volutneers to make beaded “Bravo Bracelets” for our students. We provide instructions and basic materials, but you can add your own beads/materials if you like. You must be willing to pay the cost of shipping the bracelets and leftover materials back to Mali Rising. Email Merritt to learn more.

4. Create French/English flashcards
Students in Mali don’t have many learning tools, so something as simple as a flashcard can be a great learning tool…and fun too! We provide lists of words and you create fun cards with drawings or pictures to help with learning. You must be willing and able to ship the finished cards to Mali Rising. Learn more and sign up.

5. Donate your birthday!

Want to make your birthday more meaningful? Donate it to our students! We create a personalize web page for you and you tell your friends and family you’d like donations rather than another joke t-shirt or pair of socks. Learn more and sign up.

6. Create videos to help us reach more audiences. Only 2 slots available!
We’re looking for 2 video creation whizzes to help us reach a larger audience via social media with more video content. We can provide the content and look/feel, but we need your help to make the videos! Reach out to Merritt to volunteer.

7. Join our Board of Directors or Advisory Board
We have a GREAT group of volunteer leaders who keep Mali Rising headed in the right direction. We are currently searching for several new volunteers to keep that momentum going. Board members commit at least 40 hours of service each year (including attending virtual meetings), personally donate at a meaningful level, and help with fundraising and regulatory oversight. Advisory Council members commit an average of about 6 hours per year, and serve in a more informal role (i.e., fewer meetings!) providing input and advice.

We are seachring for the following skills/attributes for either group: education expertise, international development expertise, nonprofit management skills, fundraising ability, corporate networks, story-telling skills, and — especially — Malian background/cultural insights. Board members can be from the US or Canada (or willing to zoom into meetings during some crazy times given time zone realities!); Advisory Council members can be from anywhere in the world. Reach out to Merritt to learn more.

Thanks for your interest in helping out! You can also sign up for our volunteer enewsletter and learn more about volunteering here.