To improve the reading skills of girls in the Girls Project, we organize reading sessions with the girls during our study meetings. These sessions give girls a chance to practice basic reading skills in a safe setting, using simple reading texts. But how does it really work?
Get Involved to Help Our Students (Online) This Thursday!
Want to help our students? Why, thank you! We have a fun, easy way you can volunteer to help our kids by sending them encouragement during this tough year. On April 8, you can come learn how to do it at our online April Volunteer Evening. At this online event, we will get you started with our Notes of Encouragement Volunteer Campaign. Notes are just short messages to encourage our students as they work hard in school.
One Science Teacher Hones His Skills
Teachers in Mali come together, have long tea-drinking sessions, and go to visit other villages as a group, but it is rare that they come together to learn from each other. Because we believe teachers are key to success for our students AND that teachers can really help each other, Mali Rising Foundation hosts Teacher Peer Meetings where we bring teacher together to learn from each other. In late March, we hosted a teacher peer meeting in the big town of Ouelessebougou. This meeting brought together five science teachers who were all thrilled to participate. Mr. Souleymane Koné was one of the participants. Mr. Koné is a science teacher in the village of Fadiobougou, which is home to the Entrepreneur Organization Learn for life Academy.
April Volunteer Evening: Join the Notes of Encouragement Campaign!
Looking for something fun but meaningful to do as a volunteer? We have the easiest-entry project ever for you — write notes of encouragement to our students in Mali! On April 8, you can come learn all about it at our online April Volunteer Evening.
Thank You to Judge Memorial Students!
Kadidatou Returns to School After a New Baby
Usually in Mali, once a girl gets married or becomes pregnant, her education ends. (This is a big problem, because 15% of girls are married by 15 and 50% are married by 18.) A pregnant girl who goes to school risks being teased by other students and being accused of being a bad influence. Yet every year, thousands of girls get pregnant in Mali when they should be learning history, algebra and life skills at school. Adolescent girls who have teenage pregnancies face many social and financial barriers that hinder their pursuit of formal education. Kadidiatou is a married 18 year old and is in the 9th grade at Mali Rising’s Frances W. Burton Middle School in Tamala. When we discovered that she was pregnant, we doubled our awareness campaign with her and of her husband's family until her delivery.
Another Way to Help: Flashcards!
Lunchtime in a Mali School
Mali is a country that prioritizes education, despite the many challenges we face with poverty, unrest, and of course the pandemic. One of the biggest challenges for the authorities (and for Mali Rising!) is keeping kids in school until they graduate from middle school. With multiple gold mining areas calling to kids with get-rich-quick dreams, the rural exodus of kids to work and get money, and the long distances walking or biking to get to school every day, many children drop out before they graduate. With the aim of helping stop drop outs, the Mali government has been thinking about many strategies like school lunch program, parent’s involvement, etc. In previous years, many of those strategies did not work very well. However, two years ago, we started noticing a strategy that seemed promising. The government was creating school lunch programs in some rural schools.
Two Students Race to the Top!
Mali Rising’s goal is to see our students succeed, which means helping them stay connected with learning even during a pandemic. To that end, our ongoing take-home workbook project continues to make difference for our kids and makes many parents proud of their children. An example of these outcomes can be found at The Mindful Bunch Middle School of Kafara. Students at this partner school have been working hard to make their parents proud of them. Although school was closed for months due to the pandemic, students at The Mindful Bunch Middle School have been working hard on our take-home workbooks, staying connected with learning and language.
A Backpack Full of Supplies & Motivation!
During the start of this 2020-2021 school year, school kits were distributed to the top 15 girl students in the the five partner schools (Diorila, N'tentou, Sebela, Tamala and Zambougou) where the Girls Project is active. These girls received the kits as a reward for their good school work, which motivates all the girls to work hard in class! Below is a the story from one of our best girls at the Denik Middle School in Zambougou. She is the top of her class — beating out both boys and girls for the honor.
