About Our Foundation
Education opens doors.
Mali Rising is a nonprofit that opens doors to education for middle school students in rural Mali by partnering with villages to build schools, fund girls’ access, and strengthen learning outcomes.
Our Vision & Mission
Together, we can end the education crisis in Mali.
We know that in rural Mali, the education crisis runs deep. Nationally, only 21% of boys and 15% of girls make it to middle school. For Mali, one of the poorest and most fragile countries in the world, this means the door to a better future stays closed for everyone.
Since 2005, over 60,000 students have crossed the threshold to middle school through our Malian-led, village-rooted education partnerships.
With the generosity of our supporters and the commitment of local partners, we'll continue opening doors to education for every child in Mali, one village at a time.
Our Team
Leading with warmth, empathy, and a deep belief that community comes first.
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Lisa Hudson
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Lisa spent over half a decade working as a high school French teacher before leaving to study international relations in Aix-en-Provence, France. Her master's thesis pushed back on dominant narratives of identity and belonging, focusing on the silenced voices of African women excluded from traditional French historical memory. Wanting to put that thinking into practice, she joined the National Democratic Institute, where she spent four years working on democracy and governance programs across Francophone West Africa. While Lisa is known for her ability to translate vision into strategy and action, she cares just as much about the people behind the action, leading a collaborative team where everyone's voice can be heard. -
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Hindaty Traoré
PROGRAM MANAGER
Hindaty was born in Bamako, but spent part of her childhood in a small village, much like the ones where Mali Rising works. With a heart for people, and a gift for making them feel welcome, Hindaty returned to Bamako to study Hospitality and Tourism at the Institut Universitaire de Gestion. In 2013, she joined Mali Rising as an intern, spending three years in partner villages, learning the programs and the people. As a passionate advocate for girls' education, once hired, Hindaty started Mali Rising's girls' programming. Over the past decade, Hindaty has reached over 18,000 girls through her work on this program. While Hindaty is known for her trustworthiness and kindness, she is also a deeply capable and intuitive leader. -
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Adama Koné
PROGRAM MANAGER
Adama grew up in a small village near Ouelessebougou, and had to bike miles to reach middle school every day. Despite this hardship, Adama was dedicated to his education, going on to earn a master's degree in English from the University of Bamako. After graduation, Adama taught English at a small, rural middle school, and in 2019 he joined Mali Rising as a Project Coordinator. Since 2019, Adama has built out both the teacher training program and the FLIP program. Together, they reach over 30 teachers and 400 students each year. While Adama is known for his depth of pedagogical knowledge, he's also a true peacemaker, easing tension whenever teachers, principals, or students aren't seeing eye to eye. -
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Fatoumata Koné
OPERATIONS COORDINATOR
Fatoumata first came to Mali Rising as an intern on the Girls' Project, traveling rough village roads alongside Hindaty to reach girls in our most remote schools. After working as an intern for several years, Fatoumata transitioned to serve as Mali Rising's Operations Coordinator. Having studied Marketing Techniques at the University of Bamako, Fatoumata oversees all of Mali Rising’s in-country administrative and financial tasks, works with contractors and school administration, and supervises data collection. While Fatoumata is known for her diligence and organization, she is also deeply personal in her work, always conscious that real students are impacted by even the smallest administrative details.
