window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-ER7HTCMP0F');
Favicon | Baobab Learning Center
Logo | Baobab Learning Center
Donate
Field Office2026-07-08T13:22:44-04:00

About Us

Our Mali Field Office

Opened in 2026, the Baobab Learning Center’s Mali Field Office serves as a hub for education, innovation, and community development. Located in Mali, the center brings together local leaders, educators, families, and partners to create opportunities that empower children, young adults, and women through learning, entrepreneurship, and sustainable initiatives.

The field office is home to a growing portfolio of programs, including our Community Learning Center, Agro-Pastoral Site, and Shea Butter Production Units supporting women’s economic empowerment.

It also serves as the launch point for new initiatives such as BLC TV, the Summer BLC Kids Boot Camp, and professional training programs designed to strengthen communities and create lasting impact.

Programs That Strengthen Communities

Agro-Pastoral Project

We transform degraded land into productive farms while equipping women and young adults with agriculture and land-management skills that strengthen food security and climate resilience.

Center for Children | Baobab Learning Center

Center for Children

We provide a safe, supportive environment where children can learn, grow, and succeed through access to education, daily care, and essential resources.

Empowering Women | Baobab Learning Center

Empowering Women

We support women through cooperative-based programs that build skills, generate income, and strengthen families and local economies.

Supporting Young Adults | Baobab Learning Center

Educating Young Adults

We equip young adults with vocational training, mentorship, and real-world experience to help them build stable livelihoods and future opportunities.

Our Team

Our team brings together local expertise and global support, united by a shared commitment to community-led change.

Dr. Salmana

Dr. Drahamane Salmana

Director of Operations

Rachel Sanou - Team Member | Baobab Learning Center

Rachel Sanou

Baobab Learning Center Manager

Joseph Thera

Senior Education, Training, & Community Development Specialist

Paul Thera - Team Member | Baobab Learning Center

Paul Thera

Agro-Pastoral Teaching Garden Manager

Rebeka Dara

Rebeka Dara

Accounting Intern

Oumou Diakité

Oumou Diakité

Communication Intern

News & Events

Help Grow Opportunity in Mali

Whether you’re interested in partnering with us, supporting a program, volunteering your expertise, or simply learning more, we’d love to connect. Together, we can create lasting opportunities for children, women, and communities across Mali.

Logo Jade | Baobab Learning Center

P.O. Box 13112, Arlington, Virginia 22219

contact@baobablearning.org

Stay Connected

Get occasional updates on our programs, community stories, and impact in rural Mali.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

© 2026 Baobab Learning Center | Baobab Learning Center is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, EIN 81-3708632

Make a Donation

Dr. Salmana

Dr. Drahamane Salmana

Director of Operations

Dr. Drahamane SALMANA is a dedicated Education and Leadership Training Specialist with over
10 years of experience cultivating high-performance teams and driving strategic business
growth in the humanitarian, NGO, and UN sectors. Known for blending actionable business
management strategies with innovative pedagogical approaches, he has led large-scale training
initiatives for UN peacekeeping missions (MINUSMA, PLAN international), NGOs, and
emergency education programs, ensuring operational excellence and compliance. As a Training
Assistant at MINUSMA, he supervised 30M XOF ($50K USD) budgets, designed e-learning
systems, and implemented performance-driven leadership programs that enhanced team
efficiency. His roles as an International Consultant and Educational Program Manager at STOP
Sahel further highlight his expertise in business supervision, logistical oversight, and strategic
decision-making to empower organizations. Dr. Salmana holds a PhD in Educational Sciences
and is passionate about scaling leadership impact through data-driven management, cross-
cultural collaboration, and systemic problem-solving, key pillars of modern business leadership.

Rachel Sanou - Team Member | Baobab Learning Center

Rachel Sanou

Baobab Learning Center Manager

Rachel also benefitted from BLC. Her story is a story of courage, perseverance and resilience. She is one of the 15 children enrolled first year of BLC in 2016. She transferred from a village and a school with only a local language: The Bobo language and no French.

Starting in the 6th grade, she had to learn French and catch up the level of her peers. It was not an easy task to rapidly learn to read and write in French. Surprisingly, Rachel did it with support, training and supervision from BLC’s staff.

Rachel successfully passed her national exams, finished secondary school and was enrolled in professional school for 4 years to become an office administrative assistant. This June, Rachel finished her 4 years training and education.

This year, Rachel, who turned 21, took charge of supervising the children’s education along with 4 helpers also tutored at BLC. BLC is becoming self-autonomous and self-generating in many ways.

Hassa Joseph Thera

Senior Education, Training, & Community Development Specialist

Hassa Joseph Thera is a senior education, training, and community development specialist with over 25 years of professional experience in the design, implementation, supervision, and evaluation of educational and community-based programs in Mali and internationally.

He has strong expertise in literacy and reading instruction, active and balanced learning approaches, teacher training, curriculum development, and the production of bilingual teaching and learning materials in national languages, particularly Bambara. His work has consistently focused on improving learning outcomes, strengthening teacher capacity, and empowering youth and communities.

From 2016 to 2025, he served as Regional Supervisor at the Education Development Center (EDC), where he led the development of training modules and pedagogical guides, trained trainers and teachers, supervised program implementation, and supported learning assessments, including EGRA. Prior to this, he was Training and Materials Production Manager at the Institute for Popular Education (IEP), contributing to national curriculum reforms, girls’ empowerment initiatives, and educational research in collaboration with organizations such as USAID and CARE Mali.

Earlier in his career, he worked with BADS–AGEMPEM as Program Coordinator and Assistant, managing integrated, multi-sectoral development projects in literacy, health, water management, microfinance, and income-generating activities.

Hassa Joseph Thera holds a master’s degree in educational psychology from the École Normale Supérieure (ENSUP) in Bamako. He has completed numerous professional trainings in areas including education decentralization, learning assessment, social cohesion, WASH in schools, and impact evaluation. He is fluent in Bambara and French, with a good command of English.

Paul Thera - Team Member | Baobab Learning Center

Paul Thera

Agro-Pastoral Teaching Garden Manager

Paul represents a successful story of the BLC vision of empowering communities, especially young people. In 2016, at age 19, he began working in BLC ‘s first year, in charge of security of the center housing the children. Eager to provide opportunity for growth and empowerment, BLC encouraged him to enroll part-time in vocational school.

Paul developed a passion as a construction worker especially for painting and installing tiles. In two years Paul graduated and moved to the capital, Bamako with new skills and gradually built up his small enterprise. He kept in touch with BLC.

The agro-pastoral project requires a talented, hard-working and trustworthy figure on site. Paul has graciously accepted to return to Tominian and give back to the center to help building the local community.

Rebeka Dara

Rebeka Dara

Accounting Intern

Rebeka Dara is an accounting and financial management professional with over four years of experience gained across both public and private sector organizations. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance and has developed strong expertise in financial management, accounting operations, and administrative oversight.

Throughout her career, she has held roles as an accountant and administrative and financial manager, notably at the Higher School of Political Science and Management (ESPG), where she is responsible for maintaining accounting records, managing invoicing and payments, performing bank reconciliations, and preparing financial statements.

Her previous experience at the National Directorate of Financial Control and the General Directorate of Budget enabled her to strengthen her skills in expenditure control, financial document verification, and budget monitoring. She has a solid understanding of administrative and tax obligations and demonstrates proficiency in accounting and office tools, including Sage Accounting and Microsoft Excel.

Detail-oriented, organized, and results-driven, Rebeka Dara is committed to performance and continuous improvement. Her strong sense of confidentiality, teamwork, and ability to work under pressure make her a reliable and dedicated professional capable of contributing effectively to the financial performance and growth of organizations.

Oumou Diakité

Oumou Diakité

Communication Intern

Oumou Diakité is a professional in accounting and auditing, holding a Master’s degree in Accounting, Control, and Audit from Montplaisir University in Tunis. She brings strong expertise in financial management, developed through diverse experiences in accounting firms and the banking sector.

Throughout her career, she has worked as an Audit Assistant at EXAFI, where she contributed to statutory audit assignments, account reviews, and financial statement analysis. These responsibilities enabled her to develop strong analytical skills, along with a sharp sense of accuracy and compliance.

She also served as an Accounting and Administrative Assistant at Kouma Firm, where she handled key tasks such as bookkeeping, bank reconciliations, tax declarations, and general administrative management. In addition, she completed an internship at the International Bank for Mali, where she gained practical experience in management control and financial monitoring processes.

With strong proficiency in office tools and accounting software, including Sage and E-Pégase, Oumou Diakité is recognized for her rigor, organization, and professional commitment.

Driven by a desire to contribute to impactful initiatives, particularly in education and social development, she is dedicated to supporting organizations in strengthening their financial management while continuously enhancing her professional skills.

This website uses cookies and third party services. For more information, view our Privacy Policy. OK
Go to Top