On this Thursday morning we woke in the big city of Bamako, but immediately headed south to the “big” town of Ouelessebougou. Ouelessebougou is home to our own kind of “home-away-from-home” hotel for me, the staff, and Tim, but it was a new experience for Courtney. As hotels go, it is pretty basic — no hot water, no sheets, no towels, etc. BUT it does have a wonderful mango tree in a little courtyard that serves us quite well as an office and living room. Before making ourselves at home at the hotel though, we had to get some work done. First, we visited the village of Kafara and then we headed on the long drive to Kolimba.
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.
Join Us on February 12 to Explore Mali...From the Comfort of Your Own Home
Join us via video link for an informal and fun travelogue from our January expedition to Mali. The U.S. staff spent spend 2 weeks visiting 14 of our schools, exploring future partner villages, and more. In this video event we will share highlights and stories from the trip, and answer your questions about our work and Mali. This is a great way to explore the culture of Mali and understand Mali Rising’s work without leaving the comfort of your home!
Travelogue...Day 3: Zambougou & Beneko
Travel To Mali With Us...
Okay, I wish we could take you all with us but that isn’t practical. So the next best thing? Travel along with us virtually! As this blog post is published, I am winging my way to Mali to meet up with our great Mali staff for 2 weeks of school visits, celebrations, and learning…come along with us without leaving home!
Meet Marie, Our New Volunteer Operations Coordinator!
Understanding Our Teachers' Strengths & Weaknesses
Here at Mali Rising we really believe that good teachers make a good school. That’s why we have a special Teachers Project devoted directly to providing the support and training our teachers need to deliver great education in the classroom. As part of this work, we host an annual 5-day training for about 40 of our teachers. We’ve just finished the pre-training evaluation of our teachers, and are now getting ready for the 2019 training!
Resolve to Be Involved!
Are you making a New Year's resolution to volunteer more? We can help! You can truly make a difference in our work, no matter what your skills. Just as importantly, we think you'll take away as much as you bring -- being part of helping young people building better lives for themselves is just plain inspiring. To make it easier for you to get involved, we have launched a new web clearinghouse of volunteer opportunities…
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.
Teaching Helps Kids...& Teachers
I am Mr. Doumbia, a biology teacher serving all three grades in Nieguekoro — 7th, 8th, and 9th grades. I am 32 years old and I have been teaching in this village for more than 4 years. I love my teaching job because it makes me contribute to the development of my country by sharing my knowledge with students….
