I recently spoke with Mali Rising volunteer Margie to learn about her work with Mali Rising. Volunteers like Margie (and me) make a small organization like Mali Rising able to achieve much more than you would think with our small staff and budget.
Travelogue: Day 7 -- A Trip to the Market, and to Two schools
Day 7 of traveling was a very full Friday indeed. In the morning, we visited the Sue Taylor Middle School of Diorila, which is about one and a half hours down a bumpy dirt road. We returned to Ouelessebougou for lunch and a trip to the big Friday market, before zipping down the road to visit our Sue Chung Chiu Middle School in Simidiji.
Travelogue...Day 5: Soccer, soccer, and soccer...plus some work
Day 5 of our travels found us at full-strength as a team — the Mali Rising staff, Tim Gibson (Mali Rising supporter), Courtney Colter (Mali Rising board member), and two great translator — Mady & Hawa. This was a long day with visits to two schools — Little Heroes Academy II in Tanima and Tim Gibson Middle School in Sebela.
Travelogue...Day 3: Zambougou & Beneko
Our Girls Imagine Their Futures...With & Without School
During our twice-monthly Girls Groups meetings, we work with our girls to develop skills they need to thrive in school and in life. A common theme is the power of education to help girls achieve their dreams. In November, I lead the girls in an reflection exercise, focused on making girls aware of the disadvantages of not going to school, and the benefits of their education. Explore how one young woman — Halimatou — imagined her possible futures.
Strong Girls Play Soccer
As part of our larger Girls Project, we support several girls’ soccer teams. Research shows participation in sports helps with school attendance and success. We also see it as a way to build community among our girls and to create self confidence. Also important — the whole village comes out to watch the girls compete and gets to see these fierce and strong young women in action! In this blog post, Hindaty shares her view of the first school vs. school match of the season.
On a hot and dusty day in Mali, two new Mali Rising girls’ soccer teams met for the first time. Thursday, November 28 was the first match of a football competition between the girls of the village of Tamala and those of the village of Zambougou.
Tenimba Finds Her Power as a Girl Leader
As you may remember, our Girls Project entered a new phase this year. We have taken on 5 additional villages with the project, and we are transitioning the 3 original pilot villages into more and more local leadership. As part of that local leadership, this year we trained six Girl Leaders to take on leading the Project in their home villages. Meet one of those Girl Leaders — Tenimba — here.
Making Merry With Menstrual Kits? Why Yes We Are!
If you are in Salt Lake or surrounding areas, I hope you’ll join me and a group of great women (and supportive men) for a night of connection and service. We’re inviting members of our 50 Women Campaign and those who are interested in learning more about 50 Women and our Girls Project to come together to assemble menstrual kits for our girls while learning more about girls’ education.
A New Girl Leader Steps Up to Help Other Girls
Girls Project Grows & Thrives
As announced this summer, our successful Girls Project is growing! After three years of piloting the Project in three villages, as school opened this fall we launched the Project in five new villages. This expansion has allowed us to nearly DOUBLE the young women benefiting from our intensive work. With all 8 villages, this year we will work with 362 young women to help them get in school, stay in school, and thrive.
