education
ACFA Provides vulnerable children, orphans, and the wider communities it works in access to Education, sports, and other enriching activities.
Mali has a literacy rate of 38.7% for ages 15 and above - ranking them as one of the 10 countries with lowest literacy rates in the world. Many families in Mali struggle to send their children to school due to poverty, lack of access to school, and cultural expectations.
Through our initiatives, we strive to bridge the education gap in Mali. By implementing industry-best curriculums at our school, we create a safe and nurturing environment that foster learning and growth. We hire teachers from the community who are passionate about inspiring young minds and providing engaging, relevant, and inclusive education.
PROVIDING Children in mali With Access to Education
Education is key in breaking the cycle of generational poverty and we are determined to empower Mali’s children and adults through education. ACFA engages with leading experts on creating curriculum and our Board of Directors includes an education sub-committee comprised of professionals who work to establish programs, procedures and opportunities for our children.
Our first group of children, who joined ACFA in 2010, had missed many critical years of education prior to coming to us. With the help of the Bamako Children’s Home, these children, who are teenagers now, went on to attend private schools in Bamako and their education was supplemented with tutoring and extra-curricular activities to help bring them up to speed. Many of these teenagers are now in vocational training and internships while others intend to go to university.
At the Zorokoro Children’s Complex, our school is operational for kindergarten and elementary school for the ACFA children and children from the surrounding villages. In coordination with the education system in Mali, we provide industry-best curriculum for the children attending our school in Zorokoro. The curriculum is also tailored to meet both Mali and US educational standards to ensure the most opportunity for our graduates. We will be expanding the school to include 6th-9th grade, which will concentrate on STEM classes.
To equip the children with practical life skills, we also provide relevant vocational training in farming, hair braiding, artisan crafts, tailoring, mechanics, carpentry, and computer skills.
education in zorokoro
Zorokoro is a rural village in Mali, Africa, that is isolated from major resources and opportunities. The intention behind our school is to provide preschool, primary, secondary, vocational and adult education opportunities to children and adults of Zorokoro and the surrounding rural villages. This will improve access and eligibility for our graduates.
ACFA’s kindergarten, Jardin D'Enfants Kindergarten Othman and Fadwa Abuludghod (named in memory of the parents of ACFA’s generous donor who supported the funding for the construction of these first classrooms), is supported by dedicated teachers who work to ensure that our children are learning essentials such as colors, letters, and numbers, as well as having lots of playtime, meals, and naps.
Our current priorities are: building a dining hall & kitchen to give the children a proper place to eat, expanding the dormitory to house more vulnerable children, and growing our farm for livestock and crops.
sports engagement
Sports play a pivotal role in the lives of orphans and vulnerable children in Mali, particularly girls, offering them a unique avenue for growth, empowerment, and personal development. Engaging in sports activities provides these children with a range of physical, emotional, and social benefits. Through sports, they learn teamwork, discipline, resilience, and self-confidence, fostering essential life skills that transcend the playing field.
Sports especially empower girls in Mali, challenging societal norms and stereotypes, promoting gender equality, and nurturing a sense of belonging, inclusion, and identity. It also grows confidence and team-building for the girls.
Our children take enjoyment from a number of sports including taekwondo, basketball, and fencing. We have just recently constructed a basketball court and are working on building a soccer field next. By prioritizing sports programs for orphans and vulnerable children, we create opportunities for them to explore their potential, build self-esteem, and envision a future filled with limitless possibilities.
Our children’s excellence at these sports is showcased in their participation in both domestic and international competitions, and in the numerous awards and medals that they have earned. Sports also gives our children an opportunity to travel and connect with different cultures, as they recently travelled to India through a collaboration with Kickoff Solutions, a nonprofit providing scholarships to vulnerable girls to play sports.
