More Than a Charity, We Are a Circle of Hope
Learn how education can make a huge difference in a child’s life and lead them to live a more meaningful life.
Why We Started?
From Mali to Houston: A Mission That Followed the Need
Fighting Poverty Through Education Since 2011.
Our story begins in 2011 with a simple truth: every child deserves access to education, no matter where they were born. I started in Bamako, Mali, partnering with a friend, Garba, where we opened a medical clinic. In 2017, I partnered with the University of Houston to create a solar-powered electronic classroom, which was shipped to Mopti, Mali.
For the first time, children in a remote village could see a computer screen and touch the future. In that village, we are creating a new school to educate the population and give them hope to create a better future for themselves.
That work taught me something that I have never forgotten: helping to remove financial barriers unlocks potential that no one can predict. A child who was told that they cannot learn thrives. A student with no resources- achieves.
And then I looked in our own city as well as Africa and found a great deal of need. Talented children who have the ability were falling through the cracks- not because of a lack of ability, but because they lacked funds. We are looking for a few underprivileged students who may qualify for a scholarship to attend a local school and begin to study to achieve their dream.
The Mali Nieta Foundation now channels that same commitment — earned from years of global work — into the youth of Houston, Texas.
Richard A Jackson
Our Mission: The Promise
Scholarships That Build a Legacy
The Mali Nieta Foundation awards scholarships of up to $1,000 to high school students in the Houston area who have the drive to succeed but lack the financial support to get there.
We are not a traditional scholarship program. We do not just write a check and walk away. We ask for something in return: a promise.
Every student we sponsor makes one commitment — the Pay It Forward pledge. Once they graduate and find success, they will help fund the education of the next student in line. That one scholarship, given to one young person today, becomes the seed of an education legacy that can grow for generations.
We are building a family of givers who look out for each other — and for the Houston youth who come after them.
Our Objectives
Founded in 2010, our goals are to:
- Removing Financial Barriers:
Too many Houston students leave school — not because they lack ability, but because they lack funding. We provide direct financial support of up to $1,000 to help students stay in the classroom and keep moving forward. - Investing in Houston’s Future:
We believe the strength of our community depends on the education of its youth. When a young person from Houston graduates and succeeds, that success comes back to the neighborhood — in jobs, in leadership, and in the next scholarship they help fund. - Building a Community of Givers:
The Pay It Forward commitment is not a transaction — it is an invitation to belong to something larger than yourself. Every student who accepts a scholarship becomes part of a growing family of people who look out for the next generation. - Creating Opportunity Where It Is Needed Most:
We focus on underserved students in the greater Houston area — young people who have worked hard and shown real potential, but who face real financial obstacles to continuing their education.
How You can Help?
Your gift is an investment in a young person’s future — and in the future of Houston.
When you donate to the Mali Nieta Foundation, you put a scholarship directly into the hands of a Houston high school student who is ready to work for their education and committed to passing that opportunity forward. Your generosity does not end with one student — it ripples forward, to the next student they sponsor, and the one after that.
Whether you give once or give monthly, you are helping build an unbroken chain of opportunity for the next generation of Houston youth.