We are truly pleased to welcome a new member to our Board of Directors, AJ Davis. She joins our dedicated band of board members in guiding the organization and serving as ambassadors for our work. I sent AJ a few questions to help everyone get to know her just a little bit. Please read on to hear what AJ had to share.
Rescheduled: Fun Discussion of Girls' Education
Meet A New Board Member: Crystal Goodwin
Make A Donation in Honor Of Alou
As we announced earlier this week, Alou Doumbia, our Construction Manager, passed away late last week after a short illness. We are all so sad to say goodbye to Alou, but no one is sadder than his family. That’s why we are gathering together donations in honor of Alou to share with his family.
A Sad Goodbye to Alou Doumbia, Construction Manager
It is with great sadness that I share with the Mali Rising community that Alou Doumbia, our Construction Manager, passed away late last week after a short illness. The staff, board, and volunteers of Mali Rising are shocked and saddened to say goodbye to Alou, who was a truly kind person with a deep belief in the power of education.
Online Book Discussion: The Moment of Lift
We want to talk with YOU about big ideas for changing the world. Some of our supporters were really inspired by Melinda Gates' book, The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World. We decided it would be fun to have a book group-like discussion and connect some of the themes from the book with Mali Rising's work and your support. Please join us!
When Mud Stands Between You & Your Education
When it rains, it pours. This old saying is especially true in Mali, and it presents a special challenge to children walking to school. It is common for many kids in rural areas in Mali to walk several miles to school and some children may walk four to five miles each way. The time and energy required each day is one of the most common reasons students drop out of school, especially when it comes to girls. This is why building schools is a core part of our education work — by bringing the school closer to the kids, we can make a big difference! This is never more true than during the rainy season. In the picture below, you see the road to one of the Mali Rising partner villages, Nieguekoro, which is home to Ross and Marilou Moser Middle School. This scene is typical during the rainy season.
Something as Simple as a Workbook...
Way back in the early days of the pandemic, we — like everyone else — were scrambling to find ways to keep our kids connected to school as things shut down. School closures in Mali were total…there is no online learning in our remote, rural villages! One tool we decided to test was incredibly simple, but turned out to also be incredibly engaging. That tool is a set of simple, photocopied workbooks we distributed in our villages.
When Doing it Yourself Feels Good
When Mali Rising builds a new school, student desks are part of the equipment provided to the school. This is an obvious need – it is hard to make the most of a classroom if you do not have anywhere to sit! However, solving one problem can sometimes create other challenges. We have a new campaign underway to keep school desks in good shape, and I’d like to tell you about that campaign today.
Volunteer Spotlight: Lawrence Behind the Scenes
We do a lot with a little here at Mali Rising, and much of that is possible because of our great volunteers. Today, I want to feature a new volunteer — Lawrence Long — who has stepped up to help us with all kinds of critical, behind-the-scenes work as our Volunteer Operations Coordinator. We are so glad to have Lawrence’s help, and hope you’ll enjoy getting to know him through a little recent Q and A!
