Mali Kalanso
Transforming Rural Mali Communities Through High-Quality Education
Fast Facts
Mali
Brad Smith and Carrie Portis
2026
Education
How Mali Kalanso Is Making a Difference
Mali Kalanso’s model demonstrates success when education is well-resourced and community-centered. MK supplements standard education with extensive teacher training, tutoring, daily meals, clean drinking water and healthcare. Health and microenterprise training for adults reinforces education as a catalyst for whole-community development. Planned expansions include using technology to enhance instructional quality and learning measurement, creating a career path for university graduates, and further reducing language barriers, especially for girls, to keep them in school and delay child marriage.
Work of Mali Kalanso
- Uses a holistic approach in transforming communities through access to high-quality education.
- Addresses barriers to bridging Bambara and French, a key to keeping children in school, and plans to expand that effort with a phonics-based app.
- Addresses teacher shortages by defining a pathway for grads to return and support the school as teachers and mentors.
- Defines specific goals and monitors the performance of the school and its students.
- Plans for the model, if successful, are to scale regionally with Mali Kalanso as a hub for community-driven education.
Initiatives Supported by Project Redwood
2026: $30,000 to implement two features of their ‘Next Generation’ model: 1. Establishing a literacy bridge that removes a language barrier blocking student progress and ensures that children stay in school longer, increasing economic potential and protecting girls from early marriage. 2. Creating a pathway to employment for university graduates by enabling them to return as educators and leaders.