U.S. & MALI

Creating greater understanding and respect between people

        Visit our online Mali Jewelry & Crafts sale here!
                 Proceeds go directly to our arts and education programs.


ONLINE MUDCLOTH SALE!

Click here to enter our SALES page

All sales are reinvested in our Entrepreneurial Mudcloth Program at Ko-Falen.


























*See photos of our 2022 exhibition of mudcloths in Bamako

under our PROGRAMS tab/ON THE GROUND

*Learn more about mudcloth under our ARTS of MALI tab



For 20 Years, We Have Been Taking Stock,

Digging In, Solving Problems and Paving the Way

 at Ko-Falen in Mali.

Taking Stock: Ko-Falen purchases grain for our Family Food & Wellness Program.

Identified families receive 50 kilos each of rice, green millet and corn. This year we hope to feed 40 families! In addition, we provide assistance for families with chronic health issues and diseases. 

Digging In: Caretaker Madou works with students to grow our gardens at the Tutoring Center.

Ko-Falen is giving our students the opportunity to learn gardening tips and grow their skills. Some have already begun gardens at home!

Solving Problems: Math Teacher Maama works with three of her students during Algebra class. Our FREE tutoring center offers geometry, algebra and physics, as well as French reading & writing and English. We also sponsor students in school.

Paving the Way: Our neighborhood is helping to pave the road in front of Ko-Falen.

Finally! Students and neighbors are working together to make our dangerous road safe for our students to negotiate!

  


                                 Our programs in Mali:
                            1) Promote and preserve traditional arts of Mali

                            2) Feed families in food-insecure times

                            3) Guarantee potable water to our students & families

                            4) Keep young girls in school
                            5) Instill self-confidence and pride in underserved youth

                            6) Give students skills for their future
                            7) Open their eyes to a global world




New Mudcloths posted on SALE page!


All sales are re-invested in our Entrepreneurial Program in Art

Have you received Ko-Falen's Annual Report?

You can read it HERE !


Join Ko-Falen

at the 34th Annual Cascade Festival of African Films

February 2-March 2, 2024

in Portland, Oregon

Ko-Falen will be selling arts, crafts & mudcloth

each Saturday matinee and evening film!

Purchases will go toward our programs,

paying teachers in our FREE Tutoring Program,

sponsoring students by paying their tuition in Mali schools,

paying materials and instructors for our Entrepreneurial Art Program,

feeding families through out Family Food & Wellness Program.





It's never too late to donate!

Ko-Falen Cultural Center is a nonprofit organization, ID#42-1761763


















Students at Ko-Falen have the opportunity to learn the unique Mali artform of bogolanfini (mudcloth)

in Ko-Falen's Entrepreneurial Program.

Our students are proud to share with you the history and traditional imagery of their cultures, 

as well as contemporary artwork they are practicing through these classes.


They proudly present to you their artwork at the film festival and in our SALES pages HERE!

    Hello, my name is Mama Diarra with my daughter Assetou Doumbia and her cousin Assa Kane. They both started schooling here at Ko-Falen when they were young. Assetou passed to high school last year and still continues to come to math and English classes at Ko-Falen. Assa is in 8th grade this year. Without Ko-Falen paying for their school tuitions, they would have been living in the village with no future other than early marriages. I am so grateful to Ko-Falen for saving my girls and continuing to help us. We were visiting the village recently during which we thought how lucky we are to be part of Ko-Falen. At our return to Bamako, Wague put out a call for us. Upon arriving at the Center, we were surprised that 3 sacks of grain were waiting for us! Thank you Ko-Falen for thinking of a single woman caring for 2 girls alone. My girls are not only getting all this help, but also are among the many students that come to see Wague regularly for counseling. He is like a father to them. We love you all and hope you stay around long enough for some of these children to return to help at Ko-Falen. Thanks again,  Mama Diarra, Assetou and Assa


Read our family stories from Ko-Falen's

Family Food & Wellness Program

Ko-Falen Cultural Center has been working in Mali since 2004, promoting mutual understanding between people of different cultures through art and education. We are proud to have built a successful free tutoring center in the outskirts of Bamako, championing the most underserved families, with a focus on artisan families in the area. We sponsor 43 of our 100+ students, paying their public school tuitions. We recently created an arts entrepreneurial program for our students and graduates to help them realize their own small businesses. We have an ongoing storytelling program in the US and Mali to share stories and cultures. Ko-Falen is a 501c3 nonprofit. Your donation is tax deductible.