Mali is home to many traditions, especially in rural areas. Some of the traditions are disappearing in bigger towns but they live on in villages. Visiting a village in Mali allows people from other countries to learn many of these traditions, but even Malians who have lived in big towns for long time may be reminded of many traditions. For example, it is very common to see large, rustic public benches in villages while visiting.
Mali Rising Volunteer Nancy Did It (and So Can You)!
Do you ever think “I wish I had the time to volunteer” or “I would love to do that, but I don’t think I can anymore”? Volunteer Nancy wants to tell you “Do what you can when you can. Every little bit helps.” I recently spoke with Nancy about her week-long experience volunteering for Mali Rising. While visiting family in Salt Lake City in March…
COVID-19 Changes the Feel of Village Visits
We Were Overwhelmed With Great Youth Ambassador Applications!
By Merritt Frey, Executive Director
Okay, this isn’t the most substantive blog post ever…but I had to share my excitement. Last week was the deadline for 20/21 Youth Ambassador Project participants and we had SUCH an amazing batch of applicants.
In fact, our applicants were so outstanding we could not bring ourselves to limit the group to just ten Ambassadors. Katie Murphy, Mali Rising board member and Youth Ambassador liaison, and I just could not say no to many of the great kids who applied. As a result, the 20/21 Ambassador class will be nearly double the normal size!
Stay tuned to hear more about the new Ambassadors in the coming week. And we predict you will be hearing A LOT about their great projects all school year long! So exciting.
Even Flood Waters Can't Stop Our Girls Project
Because of the school closings with COVID-19, this year’s reopening of schools coincides with the rainy season. Usually, schools in Mali are closed from June through September so that most children do not have to navigate floodwaters and mud to get to school. As with everything else, 2020 has been quite different with students called back to school in the midst of the rains.
Partnerships With Principals Are Crucial!
Abdoulaye Coulibaly is the principal of Mindful Bunch Middle School of Kafara. He is 33 years old and father of 3 children. Mr. Coulibaly says many people in Karafa cannot even find words to express their feelings when it comes to talking about the importance of Mindful Bunch Middle School. Mr. Coulibaly estimates that 99% of the people in Kafara think their middle school allowed them to be closer to their kids and be able to watch over the kids and their education. Their kids have been studying in their own village and do not have to walk miles any more to get to school.
A Coup in Mali and What it Means for Students
You may have heard some concerning news out of Mali this week. Earlier in the week, Mali’s military took the nation’s President and other officials into custody. Within hours, the President resigned and turned power over to the military. The situation is still evolving rapidly, with players from around the region and world weighing in on Mali’s future. Military leaders have vowed to hold new elections soon.
Making the Best of Working for our Students From Home
Impact of Coronavirus on Living Conditions in Our Partner Villages
Just like everyone around the world, we have been working hard to understand the impact of COVID-19 on our lives and our work. All of the Mali staff or Mali Rising have been gathering information weekly from our 23 partner villages. We also recently reviewed the results of a national survey carried out in June 2020 by the Malian government in collaboration with the World Bank. I wanted to share what we understand from the national survey and discuss how that information may affect our future work.
