Give a Home to 100 Vulnerable Toddlers in Mali

Help vulnerable children at risk through crisis

The last few months in Mali have been challenging due to internal political crisis.   Through it all, our children continue to thrive. The children had a good summer  with their families and the ACFAa school provided a refresher course in September, prior to the school year starting at the beginning of October.  However, because of the political crisis in Mali and the impact of the loss of international funding  due to world events, including in the United states, has taken its toll.

Education as the gateway towards a bright future

One of ACFA’s four programs is education.  Our first cohort of children that came to ACFA in 2010-2011, received their education in the capital of Bamako at private schools.  We are particularly proud that 90% of  those children passed the rigorous DEF exam, which is the national exam in Mali required before students can go to high school. The national pass rate is around 40%. Many of those ACFA children ended up going to vocational school, and having graduated from the ACFA program, are now working in a variety of jobs.  Three of our  girls are attending high school so that they can take the baccalaureate exam to go to university.  One of ACFA’s girls passed that exam last year and is enrolled in university.  The school at the Zorokoro Children’s Complex now has three kindergarten classes as well as classes for grades one (1) through four (4). The children are all doing well and we have the same teachers that we have had since we opened the school several years ago. In fact, we have had very little turnover in staff since we opened the Zorokoro Children’s Complex in 2020.  In school, the over 140 children not only learn mandatory subjects for their grade level but also are exposed to music and dance, utilizing the musical instruments stored in our community library and computer lab. The computer lab continues to be used to provide basic computer skills to young adults in the surrounding area, with a volunteer computer teacher.

Feeding ACFA Children

The one thing that has never changed for ACFA is the priority of feeding our children. This includes the vulnerable children who are in our care 24/7 hours a day as well as the over 120 children attending the ACFA school who live in the surrounding impoverished villages. ACFA is unique in that it provides all children attending at school 3 miles a day. The motto that one cannot learn on an empty stomach means even more today. A big help for feeding the children nutritious meals is the continued expansion of the ACFA vegetable garden.  The children help to harvest tomatoes, green peppers, papayas, cucumber and watermelon.   Our cooking staff spent time training with a chef who is a nutrition specialist. ACFA is lucky to have a water well, so water is not an issue.  Solar power for all the ACFA buildings also helps in many ways.

Mali’s vulnerable children have a future with your help

We know that vulnerable communities around the world are at risk.  ACFA has been taking care of the vulnerable children of Mali since 2010. ACFA has a proven track record of providing opportunity and a future for children who have previously been living in the streets and now ACFA has expanded to children who have a roof over their heads but not much else, enabling them to receive an education starting with kindergarten.  These vulnerable children come from 8 villages surrounding the Zorokoro Children’s Complex and ACFA’s eyes are on helping the communities in those eight villages beyond the needs of these small children.

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Helping vulnerable children beyond the children currently in ACFA’s care

Providing basic resources for Mali’s vulnerable children, including food, education, and safe shelter, is at the heart of our work.   A Child for All (ACFA) is able to help vulnerable children in the surrounding villages through the school at the Complex as well as the Community Library and Computer Lab.  We ensure that all the children who attend the school have food to eat and basic healthcare.  In addition to the library being a wonderful resource for our students to develop their reading skills, we continue to welcome community members for training at the Computer Lab which is facilitated by a volunteer from one of the surrounding villages, with over 30 people from the surrounding villages gaining basic computer skills.

So many vulnerable children do not have a family to care for them.  ACFA’s dorm currently is at capacity taking care of 25 little toddlers who were previously living on the street.  ACFA’s mission is to help 100 young vulnerable children, so ACFA is actively looking for funds to expand the dorm. 

 Sustainability and Nutrition

A Child for All (ACFA) prioritizes sustainability in many ways, not only as a mindset guiding our operations, but as a value that we bestow upon the vulnerable children in our care. At our Zorokoro Children’s Complex, solar panels provide energy security, and a fresh water well supplies fresh water to the whole complex, as well as the greater community. Our vegetable garden is expanding!  Thanks to a new grant focusing on a garden and environmental initiative, ACFA has retained a consultant gardener and teacher who focuses on conservation, environmental education and ecological issues as well as pollution by use of plastic and other topics.  The grant has also allowed ACFA to expand its vegetable garden adding more vegetables including lettuce, celery, eggplant and more. The children continue to learn how to take care of the garden, as well as the fifteen sheep that cohabit in the Complex.

This spring, we were able to harvest a lot of veggies from the garden, one prominent harvest being that of our cucumber crop. Dozens of juicy green cucumbers were reaped and enjoyed in meals cooked on-site. In this way, our garden is both a learning experience and an opportunity to grow our own food.

 Access to Opportunity for Vulnerable Children

In addition to the learning opportunities available in our garden, ACFA provides access to education for the children who live with us full time, and over 100 children from the greater community. In total, 135 students attend the school at the Zorokoro Children’s Complex. This includes three kindergarten classes, and grades one through three.  By providing adequate access to education for Mali’s vulnerable children, we are helping to set them up for long-term success.

The subjects being taught include reading, math, spelling, environmental science, music and more. In addition to their education, the children who attend school at our Complex receive three meals a day and participate in sports. We recognize that socialization and play are vital to a child's development, along with traditional learning. We work to incorporate play, education and practical skill-building activities into our curriculum for students and schedules for children living at the Zorokoro Children’s Complex.  ACFA continues its music classes in the library's cultural lounge.  The school children continue to take their weekly one-hour computer lessons.

In May, as part of the ongoing partnering with the American International School of Bamako (AISB) ACFA children were invited to put on a performance for Africa Day at the AISB. Seven ACFA children participated with dance to the song by Malian artist Habib Koïta and included playing instruments, including the Tam-Tam.

 Help ACFA Continue to Provide Holistic Care for Mali’s Vulnerable Children

Please consider donating to ACFA today to support our continued growth and enable more vulnerable children to receive what all kids deserve: care, a safe and loving home, nutritious food, education and many other opportunities.

 Thank you.

Links:

• website