Mali is typically described as one of the poorest countries in the world, but it is a land with a rich history and culture and great promise for the future. One of Malis ancient cities, Timbuktu, was a center of religious tolerance in Africa. It is one of Africas fledgling democracies and has held democratic elections since 1991. Mali has been blessed with a new generation of political leaders who are dedicated to preserving democratic institutions, improving public health, and building a strong economy. Agriculture employs 70 percent of the nations workforce and produces about 40 percent of its domestic product, and cotton is a major export crop. One half of Malis population is less than 25 years old; unlike other countries with declining populations, Mali blessed with millions of wonderful children full of hope and potential. Mali has great potential, but needs the support of others around the world who have resources to invest in helping Mali develop its natural resources, build transportation and communications infrastructure, improve food production and security, expand access to clean water and sanitation, and the other prerequisites of a healthy, growing economy that creates opportunities for Malians to improve their quality of life. Given its young population, there is no greater need in Mali than to invest in education by building schools, hiring teachers, providing books and supplies, wiring the schools with computers and internet access, and creating opportunities. And that is where Mali Rising comes in. Many of the infrastructure and investment needs of Mali include highways, information technology links, and other expensive investments, but schools are a bargain. A school in a Malian community can be built for about $50,000 and that investment can empower the children of an entire village to learn and develop their minds and prepare to build their communities and countries.

Mali, the largest country in West Africa, is bordered by seven other states: Algeria lies to the north and northeast, Niger to the east, Burkina Faso to the southeast and, with the Ivory Coast, to the south. On the west are Senegal and Mauritania.

The larger northwestern region of the country, which extends into the Sahara, is almost entirely arid desert or semidesert. Mali's single most important geographic feature is undoubtedly the great Niger River, which traverses both the Sahel and the southeastern section of the country. The Niger, like the Nile, is both a critical source of sustenance and a major transportation artery--and in this latter capacity it is an excellent venue for boat travel.

Although Mali is today one of the poorest countries in the world, it has a long and illustrious past as an integral part of great African empires. The first of these empires was the empire of Ghana, which from the 4th to the 11th century controlled the trans-Saharan caravan routes. Ghana fell under invasions by the Muslim Almoravids, but it was soon supplanted by the Mandinka Empire of Mali. Mali reached its pinnacle of power and wealth during the 14th century, extending over almost all of West Africa and controlling virtually all of the rich trans-Saharan gold trade. It was during this period that Mali's great cities, Timbuktu and Djenne, became fabled centers of wealth, learning, and culture. Mali's power didn't last much longer. In the 15th century it fell to the Songhai, who had established their own capital at Gao. The Songhai held sway until the end of the 16th century, their empire collapsed under both internal and external pressures. The end of the Songhai Empire also marked the conclusion of the regions history as a trading centre, for the trans-Saharan trade routes quickly lost their vitality after the establishment of sea routes by Europeans.

In the late nineteenth century, Mali became a French colony, and in 1960 it became independent. The country has suffered from periods of internal and external strife, as well as from an extended drought in the early 1970s, but today it appears to by moving toward a stable, multi-party democratic government.

Mali's population comprises a number of different peoples, including the Bambara (who are the largest single segment), the Songhai, Mandinka, Senoufo, Fula, and Dogon. The last of these groups, the Dogon, are world-renowned for their artwork, and a visit to their traditional cliffside villages is a fascinating experience. The majority of Mali's people are Muslim, and the official language is French. Bambara, however, is the country's true lingua franca

Mali inherited a formal education system from its former colonial power, France. The inherited system was ill-suited to the countrys socioeconomic demands because France had designed it to form small elite individuals that could serve the colonial administration. Education was restricted to handfuls of local children in an attempt to minimize the risk of emancipation and uprising.

Shortly after Mali had obtained independence in September 1960, the leaders of the newly-born nation emphasized education among their priorities. The early leaders awareness of the importance of education led them to adopt the Reform Act of 1962, which mandated free, quality education for all children.

To mandate free, quality education for all children of a country is a noble ambition. But it also remains a big challenge for a poor country like Mali, which according to the 2006 United Nations Human Development Index, ranks as the third least livable country in the World. That is why more than forty years after independence; Mali still barely has 8,000 primary schools for 15,000 villages. There is a big disparity between urban and rural areas with regard to school distribution. In fact, the vast majority of the existing schools are centered in urban areas even though the country is predominately rural.