Over the last few weeks, we’ve been sharing videos from our staff on the blog. These short videos are a chance for the staff to share just a snapshot of how they are rising to the challenge of COVID-19 in their work. Today, we hear from our Girls Project Coordinator, Hindaty Traore, about the creative ways she is still helping our young female students stay safe during the pandemic.
Mariam, A Mali Rising Science Teacher
Mariam Dembelé is one of our brave female teachers in the middle school of Sue Chung Chiu Middle School in the village of Simidji. Thanks to our teacher sponsor donors, Mariam took part in our December 2019 teacher training. It was her first time at a training. Mariam is a science teacher and she enjoys her work so much! She has 4 years of teaching experience. At 23 years old, she is the mother of 2 children. Mariam loves her job because she loves children even though she thinks they are turbulent sometimes. Working as a teacher also allows her to support her family and come across with new people very often. Get to know Mariam more…
Keeping Girls Safe During the Pandemic
Mali was one of the last West African countries to have confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The country recently confirmed their first cases in late March. Since that time, the government has taken measures to limit the spread of the pandemic, including the closing of schools, meetings of more than 50 people, curfew from 8 p.m., etc. Despite this difficult moment that Mali is going through, we continue to work from home because we care a lot about our partner villages. In such a situation, it is necessary to think of alternatives.
Helping to Protect Mali's Kids During the Pandemic
Today’s blog is a bit more of a vlog, if that is still a thing. We wanted to speak with you as directly as possible about what we are doing in Mali to help our students during the COVID-19 pandemic. So, starting with today’s short video, the staff will be sharing updates about how we are changing our work as quickly as possible to be helpful.
Covid-19, Mali, and Mali Rising
As we wrote about a week or so ago, COVID-19 was slow to be confirmed in Mali. However, Mali reported their first 2 confirmed cases of COVID-19 last Wednesday, and today (Monday) the WHO places the total number of confirmed cases at 18. We are heartbroken and worried for everyone in Mali. Like you, we are all figuring out the best ways to move through this new reality. Our first concern is for our students, their families, and our dedicated Malian staff. Although we took early steps to make sure we limited the risk of spreading the virus into our partner villages, we are thinking fast on our feet about how we can still best serve our students and villages over the long haul. As you might imagine, online learning is not an option in rural Malian villages! The government closed schools for 3 weeks, and we expect it to be longer by the time all is said and done, so we need to get creative….fast.
A Virtual Event: Talk With Hindaty & Learn About Girls' Education in Mali
Feeling cooped up at home as we all try to reduce exposure to the coronavirus? You are not alone! To help with the stir-craziness, we are developing some causal, fun online options for connection and learning. So, join us via video link on Sunday, March 29 for a fun chat with our wonderful Girls’ Project Coordinator, Hindaty Traore. This is a great way to learn more about the importance of girls’ education and our great Girls’ Project without leaving the comfort of your home!
Mali Rising & Covid-19
One Week Until the Underwear Party!
Girls Explore Healthy Choices
The choices we make for ourselves and for others can have a big impact on our lives. We need to know the choices to make so that we and our loved ones stay healthy and safe. Often in our small villages in Mali we don't think much about these choices. But by learning from each other, we can see the many ways we can help each other and what we can do to improve our health and lifestyle.
