As of November, our 8^th and 9^th schools are  currently  under construction in the rural  villages  of Sossoro and N’Galamatiebougou. Our first 7 schools were built in a very successful partnership with the international charity Save the Children. However, Save the Children has shifted its focus, at least temporarily, to concentrate on teacher training programs, and is no longer building many schools. But school buildings are still desperately needed, with many children attending classes in windowless storerooms, crumbling mud-brick buildings, or temporary shelters.

As a result, Build a School in Africa has teamed up with a trustworthy construction company  in Sikasso with extensive experience building schools to government standards. Generally a village is able to raise enough money to build just one classroom at a time, but with help from Build a School in Africa, the community will get an additional one or two classrooms, plus latrines and an office/storage building.

To celebrate our sixth full year working in Mali, our partners designed this wonderful new logo for us!

Judy Lorimer, director of Build a School in Africa, visits Mali  (at her own expense) each November for 3-4 weeks, with our annual contribution to help build the next school. In addition to our own regular fund-raising activities, we have received extraordinary support from individuals, schools, colleges, and organizations.

Students  have raised money running spaghetti suppers, car washes, neighborhood yard work, pet and babysitting jobs, bake sales, yard sales, talent shows, and other events. Generous individuals and organizations in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia  have made substantial contributions, and every donation, whether from a kindergartener who saved her  allowance to donate $10.00, or from those fortunate enough to be able to write large checks, helps build the next school.

It’s a great project for kids to work on, since  100% of the money they raise goes into the construction fund. Include your e-mail or mailing address and we’ll send you a picture of the school when it’s finished. Over the years, we’ve been helped by the generous contributions from a number of extraordinary individuals and organizations.

• In 2009, the Binnie family raised $10,000 for the school in Mounkonkoro, which was named after grandfather Wlliam D. Binnie.
• In 2010, the Hillside School in Montclair New Jersey raised $10,000 to help build a school in Heremakono in memory  of  Alan Elder, a beloved teacher.
• A  family in the Pacific Northwest raised $10,000 in honor of the patriarch’s 80th birthday, which helped fund the primary school in Tabarako.
• In 2011, two high school seniors from the McNeil High School in Austin, Texas raised over $11,500  for the school presently under construction in Sossoro.
• A school project, “Schools 4 Schools”,  in Australia, plus some significant private donations, are helping to fund the new school in N’Galamatiebougou.

These are just a few examples of our many supporters. Please consider making a small contribution and joining our movement to improve the lives of children in Africa!

Learn more on our Contibute page.

Horseback riders in the New England area have been helping raise funds for the project  for several years, bringing their horses to the “Build a School in Africa” Benefit Trail Ride,  co-sponsored by the Littleton Horse Owners Association.

The ride is held in Groton, Mass. during the summer, usually late August.  The ride starts at  Willowbrook Farm; riders follow a marked trail through beautiful town and state conservation lands, choosing  a route of approximately 12 or 18 miles, much of which follows the scenic Nashua River.

There is an on-trail snack stop with water for the horses, and after the ride, participants enjoy a home-cooked African buffet dinner of dishes from several countries. The ride is affiliated with New England Horse and Trail, with members receiving mileage credit for themselves and their horses.

For information about this year’s ride, check the NEHT website or contact Judy Lorimer.

To our supporters in the Boston area: check out the Belmont World Film Festival from March 14 to April 25. “Burning in the Sun, ” screening on March 30 is a documentary set in Mali, where we are actively building schools.

SA/Mali, not rated, 82 minutes

English, Bambara and French with English subtitles

Documentary directed by Cambria Matlow & Morgan Robinson

Daniel Dembele, a 26-year-old charmer who is equal parts West African and European, was looking to make his mark on the world. Seizing the moment at a crossroads in his life, he decides to return to his homeland in Mali and start a local business building solar panels?the first of its kind in the sun-drenched nation. His goal is to electrify the households located in rural communities, 99% of which live without power. The film follows him on his journey in growing the budding idea into a viable company and how it affects his first customers in the tiny village of Banko. Taking controversial stances on climate change, poverty, and African self-sufficiency, the film explores what it takes to prosper as a nation.

Part of the Peace Corps 50^th Anniversary Celebration and the Francophonie Celebration of New England

Two Exciting Performances!

Saturday March 26, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Cronin Auditorium at the Bromfield School
14 Massachusetts Avenue (Rte 111)
Harvard, MA, 01451

Sunday March 27, 2011 at 5:00 pm
King Open School
850 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02141
(between Inman Square and Lechmere Square)

This year, you can buy tickets in advance from Brown Paper Tickets, the fair-trade ticketing company. Tickets will be available for purchase online until 5 pm on March 25. Seating is limited, so buy your tickets now:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/158407

Performers this year include the Teriya Dance Company; Troupe Teranga, under the direction of Alice Heller; The “Hip-Hop Mamas” from Sudbury, led by Elizabeth Bernstein; Khary Green and the KaGe Dance Group; and Michele Laura’s young dancers, Joyful Movement KidzDance, plus a contemporary piece choreographed to kora music by Kara Fili. A fantastic group of drummers will be led by Malian Master Drummer Moussa Traore.

Dances and music from Mali, Guinea, Senegal, and South Africa

Malian Master Drummer Moussa Traore

Drummers and dancers will perform dances from Mali, Guinea, Senegal, and South Africa; the dances are representative of different ethnic groups and a variety of celebrations. The show will begin with a beautiful photo journal of Mali, and the program includes a showing of brief photo documentaries of the school building projects already completed.

African Marketplace

There will also be vendor tables selling a variety of crafts and jewelery. 100% of the profits from ticket and craft sales will go to Build a School in Africa to help us build our 8^th and 9^th schools in Mali, West Africa. All contributions are tax-deductible.

This high-energy show has always received rave reviews from the audience, and we invite you to share this dynamic experience with us. It’s a show the whole family can enjoy.

Ticket prices are $15 for Adults, $5 for children under 12, and will be available at the door, space allowing.

For more information, contact Judy Lorimer, Project Director, at 978-433-2384, or email jmlorimer@juno.com.

Wassalounka with dancers Katie Pina, Julia Sundari, Lisa Wiesner, Judy Lorimer, photo by Nancy Lededzinski.

Tickets are now available for the 10^th Anniversary of our African Rythms show in the Boston area. This special event will feature traditional and contemporary music and dance from the African Diaspora, including traditional West African dances, Hip-hop and Afro-Fusion.

Visit Brown Paper Tickets to buy your tickets now! For more information about the shows, click here.

Malaika Thorne in Dansa, photo courtesy of the Harvard Post.