Our Mission
Together with our friends and colleagues in Mali, African Sky promotes capacity-building, empowers individuals through education, and develops innovative leaders for social change. Our philosophy of community development is based on the belief that humanity’s physical, ecological, and spiritual well-being is rooted in universal compassion and sustainable living.
Our Story
The African Sky story began in 1994 when our founder, Scott Lacy, first arrived in Mali as a Peace Corps Volunteer. The transformative relationships he shared in Mali inspired Scott to become an anthropologist in order to continue his work and friendship with his rural host community.
Several years later, and as a Fulbright Scholar, Scott returned to the village that hosted his Peace Corps experience to complete his doctoral studies. And, in the course of his field research, along with his family and friends in the US, he led an effort to build a primary school in Dissan, his host village. Then, after finishing construction on the school, and completing his graduate studies, Scott established African Sky to share and, once again, embolden his work and relationships in Mali.
Since incorporating as a 501(c)3 organization in 2004, our team has grown to include dozens of former Peace Corps volunteers and others, all of whom share their passion for building and sustaining friendships with Malians through community-based projects. As a result, through partnerships with communities across Mali, we’ve completed hundreds of collaborative projects in education, health, food security, and traditional arts. To learn more about our team and our work, please explore our website and don’t hesitate to be in touch.