In Mali, at the end of 9th grade, students take the DEF, for Diplôme d’Études Fondamentales.This mandatory 9th grade exam that determines if they can continue their education. At our village schools, teachers are expected to do extra tutoring with students to help them prepare. But most villages are not connected to the electrical grid, so the only light comes from dim kerosene lanterns.

Solar lighting changes everything. Students can study together in well-lit classrooms, guided by teachers, preparing properly for exams that will shape their futures. The portable panels charge during Mali’s sunny days, providing reliable, FREE light every evening.

This Giving Tuesday, give the gift of educational opportunity. Just $600 installs complete solar lighting at one school.

When severe flooding destroyed homes across rural Mali in 2024, concrete school buildings became emergency shelters. Village councils hold critical meetings there. Women’s cooperatives gather to discuss micro-lending and business ventures. Adults attend literacy classes after working the fields all day.

But without light, these vital community hubs go dark at sunset.

For $600, you can equip a school with a complete solar system—panels, battery, wiring, and bulbs—that serves hundreds. Free energy from Mali’s abundant sunshine means reliable, safe light without expensive kerosene or diesel. It’s a one-time investment that pays dividends for years.

This Giving Tuesday, illuminate an entire community for $600. Your donation installs solar power where it’s needed most.

Over the last 20 years, we’ve built 36 village schools in Mali, West Africa. This fall, we’re inviting you to help us do something a little different.

When the sun sets in rural Mali, most students’ education stops. No electricity means no studying after dark — just when they need it most to prepare for the high-stakes DEF exam that determines their entire academic future.

But for $600, we can change that.

A complete solar lighting system transforms a school from a daytime-only building into an evening study center where students gather under a teacher’s supervision, catching up on lessons and preparing for exams that will open doors to secondary education. In villages with no electrical grid, these solar panels don’t just provide light—they literally create brighter futures.

This Giving Tuesday, power a student’s dreams for just $600. Donate now to help us install a new solar lighting system in a Malian village school.

It was a scene of great joy in the village of Tionso as people came together to celebrate the opening of their new middle school. Thanks to our incredible donors for financing the construction, and to the villagers who came together to provide materials, labor, and hospitality for the visiting construction crew.

A huge thanks to Andal Média for allowing us to repost this video. And thanks to Salifou Bengaly for transcribing the video and providing the French translation.

The donor of this school offered the following as a dedication:

I’d like for the school to be named “Reddere” in honor of my father, Carlos Corniffe.

Reddere is Latin for “to give back,” which perfectly captures who my father was. He devoted his life to serving others and uplifting his community, leaving a lasting impact on countless lives. He led our local Boy Scouts troop, opening doors for inner-city African American kids who, before meeting him, had never experienced life outside of Detroit. He committed himself to prison ministry, visiting inmates monthly to lead Bible studies and offer encouragement. He also helped run an annual “Mommy and Me” camp near Chicago, where incarcerated mothers were given the rare chance to spend a week camping with their children.

Beyond these efforts, he was a dedicated member of his church, where much of his community service was rooted. Through all of this, my father embodied the spirit of giving—quietly, consistently, and with deep compassion. Naming the school Reddere ensures his legacy of service, mentorship, and love continues to inspire future generations.