Bring Dance and Music to Rural Schools in Mali!

Dear Kono Gnaga Friends and Family,

We are thrilled to announce a major milestone for Kono Gnaga: this year, we expanded our program into the rural region of Ségou! Partnering with the Mieruba Art Center and two local schools, we brought arts education to new communities and engaged local artists to work directly with students. This exciting expansion culminated in a vibrant community festival in Ségou—the first of its kind for the area.

In addition to our growth in Ségou, we also celebrated the 7th Annual Kono Gnaga Festival in Bamako, featuring nine partner schools. Students engaged in three months of workshops leading up to a joyful community celebration in January, highlighting their creativity and learning.

A powerful new initiative this year allowed students to choose the themes of their performances. Through dance and music, they addressed pressing social issues such as girls’ education, sanitation, clean water, and juvenile delinquency. By using cultural heritage as a storytelling tool, students reached hundreds of community members with their messages and creativity.

To better understand our impact, we welcomed a monitoring and evaluation specialist who conducted focus groups with students, parents, and community members. The results were inspiring: parents noted their children were more motivated to attend school, and many girls reported increased confidence. One student shared,  “I’ve become a better student. Before, I didn’t ask questions when I didn’t understand. Now, I ask my teacher without feeling ashamed.”

With girls making up 80% of our participants, we are proud to be helping break down barriers to education and empower the next generation.

Thank you for being a vital part of the Kono Gnaga family. Your support makes all of this possible and is even more important during these uncertain times. 

Peace and blessings,
The Kono Gnaga Team

Greetings Kono Gnaga family!

We are excited to share updates on our current initiatives as we approach the Dou Ba Festival in Bamako tomorrow (Saturday January 11th!), followed by the Segou Festival next weekend. Our programs are underway in 8 schools in Bamako and 2 in Segou, where students are combining traditional dance and music with community-focused messages. This new initiative encourages teamwork and the use of art for social change, and we’re eager to see the results at the upcoming festivals. Please join us tomorrow, Saturday January 11 at 11am EST/ 4pm Bamako Time on Facebook Live(Via Souleymane Solo Sana's FB page)  for a live streaming of the event. 

In other news we recently conducted a Child Protection Policy orientation for all Kono Gnaga artists and administrators, ensuring everyone understands and adheres to our safeguarding rules to protect children from harm. This participatory process was vital for creating a safe environment for the children in our programs.

Please take a look at the  new promotional video, produced in both French and English, showcasing our work and promoting the festival that has been circulated on social media and on media outlets in Mali. 

KG Promo Video English Version

KG Promo Video French

We look forward to continuing our work and appreciate your vital support of Kono Gnaga.  We could not have done any of this without your help, most recently with the tremendous fundraising that was done on Giving Tuesday.  Thank you!!

Solo Sana and the Kono Gnaga Board of Directors