Almost 16 years ago, Mali Rising, a non-profit organization, was founded. They have been envisioning a better education for middle school children in the developing country of Mali.
According to malirisingfdn.org, their mission is “to empower the children of Mali, West Africa by expanding and improving educational opportunities for them within their own villages. We see this education empowering children to go on to futures that improve their own lives, but also the fate of their villages and of Mali as a whole.”
Merrit Frey is the current Executive Director of Mali Rising. Her work in non-profits generally started because she is a big believer in social change and building a better world together.
“The original founders of Mali Rising were a group of people who traveled the world and wanted to do something good,” Frey said. “They settled on education because they believe that if somebody receives an education they can decide their own future. They met a young man in the U.S. for college from Mali who suggested they focus on Mail because there’s a need there.”
Since then, Mali Rising has built 24 schools in the villages of Mali, helping make education more accessible for kids. The opening of a school is always a special day for the people in the foundation, the village, and the donors. They have helped increase the rate of girls who stay in school and increase overall the national test passage rate nationally.
“School was what really opened my eye up to the world and different people and cultures in it.
I believe education is something that once you have that kind of power in your hands, you can use it in so many different ways to change the world,” Frey said.
Adama Kone is a former teacher who now is the Teachers’ Project Coordinator for the organization. Kone hosts a teacher training every year to provide help for the challenges that the teachers face.
“Anytime I organize a teacher’s peer meeting, I feel like I’m doing something that should be very encouraged and keep going on because I’m very proud of the teachers, especially when we meet and exchange ideas on how to improve education to the students,” Kone said.
The foundation also hosts an annual scholarship for U.S. students, their current one being a video contest. Applicants write a speech addressing a theme related to the organization’s work. The goal is “to give young people a forum to share their ideas for real change that will matter to other young people globally.”
The organization has been continuing to provide students with textbooks at home since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and delay of the school year in Mali.
Article by Nour Faragallah of Walter Johnson High School and Tenin Dembele of Northwest High School
Photo courtesy of the Mali Rising Foundation