Support School Facilites
Creating environments where students can focus on learning while being protected from the elements.
Classroom Construction
We are among the first international NGO’s that constructed classrooms in the region of Ouelessebougou. Much like our drinking and garden well projects in the late 1980’s, our primary focus was establishing infrastructures that would empower villagers to achieve their goals for sustainable development. In addition to classroom construction, we partnered with village communities to train teachers, create education and literacy programs, and provide formal learning opportunities for men, women, and children.
For nearly three decades, we have partnered with villagers on over 70 classroom construction projects. Since most villages in Ouelessebougou now have access to nearby primary schools, we are now focused on a long-term partnership with 12 elementary schools located in our partner villages. These classrooms are also used to host our Literacy Workshop classes for youth and adults.
Out of our 12 partner elementary schools, 10 of them now have concrete classrooms. Our next project will be at the Djemene school. Djemene has one of the largest student enrollments and the school is led by a very active principal who has successfully engaged the teachers and parents in supporting their education program. This village community greatly values education and needs to replace the delipidated classrooms from the 1990’s.
Impact
For nearly three decades, we have partnered with villagers on over 70 classroom construction projects including 20 concrete classrooms in more recent years.
School Supplies & Resources
Our Mali staff and lead teachers collaborate with the school’s administration and Education Council to assess the goals and needs of each of our 12 partner schools. Public schools receive very little government assistance so we work with them to achieve their education goals by providing resources that are either too expensive or unavailable. Projects vary every year and are based on the needs of each school.
Past projects include latrines, bench desks, chalkboards, solar panels, school supplies, school gardens, and hand-washing stations. The supplies are not limited to the students. We invest in our teachers and make sure they have the quality resources they need. We also routinely provide feminine hygiene kits for girls, which allows them to stay in school.