The Yoonis Foundation

Teach a woman how to fish, and you will feed a nation for a lifetime

130 million girls worldwide are out of school right now.

For the last 10 years, we've been changing that — funding schools in rural Mali, putting girls in classrooms from elementary through middle school, and giving women the microloans to build their own futures.

Give Her a Seat → Our Story

99% of every dollar goes directly to programs.

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"A child in a village in Africa deserves the same education as one in the finest school in America."

Our founding vision

99¢

Of every $1 reaches her

Our Story

Our father never turned away an orphan. We carry his work forward.

Usman Yoonis dedicated his life to one thing: making sure that every child in his care — no matter how they arrived at his door — was prepared to succeed. He took in orphans. He fed them. He educated them. And he never asked for anything in return.

When we lost him, we made a promise: to continue his work, but to scale it. To reach not just the children in one home, but girls across continents who are denied the most basic right — the right to learn. For 10 years now, we've funded schools in rural Mali, provided scholarships from elementary through middle school, and given 500 women the microloans to build businesses and feed their families. That's how The Yoonis Foundation carries his legacy forward.

To the Chinese adage, "Give a man a fish, and you will feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish, and you will feed him for a lifetime" — we add our own line. Because we've seen what happens when women are given the tools to lead.

"A child in the villages of Africa must have access to the same level of education as one in the finest school in America."

Our founding vision

What She Learns

Three skills that change everything

We don't just put girls in seats. We give them the tools to rise.

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Foundation

She Reads, She Leads

Reading, writing, and comprehension of English. The girl who can read a contract won't be cheated. The girl who can write a letter can change a law. Literacy is freedom.

She gains a voice the world can hear

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Critical Thinking

Minds That Solve

Science and math teach her to question, to analyze, to think beyond the obvious. We're not preparing her for a test — we're building the analytical mind that shapes tomorrow.

She sees the world as a problem she can fix

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Independence

She Builds

Entrepreneurship fundamentals. Because the girl who learns to build a business doesn't just feed herself — she employs her neighbors, lifts her village, and rewrites her family's story.

She becomes the economy her community needs

How It Works

Your dollar's journey from here to her classroom

We don't build empires. We don't hire armies of administrators. 99% of every dollar you give reaches the girl it was meant for. Here's exactly how.

We listen to the community

Every program starts locally. We adapt to the environment, culture, and specific challenges of each village and school.

We partner with local schools

We don't replace what exists — we strengthen it. School materials, supplies, teacher support, and curriculum go directly to partner schools.

We connect global talent

Passionate volunteers from the US, UK, and France bring expertise, mentorship, and a shared belief that every girl deserves a chance.

She walks into a classroom

With books in hand, a teacher who believes in her, and a curriculum designed to unlock her potential — not just fill a seat.

Real Impact

Not promises. Results.

For 10 years we've been on the ground, in the villages, making it happen.

Education — Mali

Full-year school supplies for entire villages

For a decade, we've funded schools in rural Mali — not with one-time donations, but with full-year school supplies covering everything from notebooks and pencils to textbooks and uniforms. We provide scholarships so girls can attend from elementary all the way through middle school. Without us, many parents told us plainly: they would not have sent their children to school at all.

consecutive years of funding rural schools in Mali

Microloans — Women's Empowerment

500 women. 500 businesses. 500 families transformed.

We've provided over 500 microloans to women — not charity, but a hand up. These small loans enable women to start businesses, support their families, and build economic independence. The feedback we receive tells the same story again and again: these loans didn't just help — they saved lives.

500+

microloans provided to women entrepreneurs

Voices From the Ground

The people we serve speak for us

We don't need to convince you. They will.

Without the Yoonis Foundation, my daughters would not be in school today. We could not afford the supplies, the uniforms, any of it. Now they come home and teach me what they learned.

A mother in rural Mali

Parent of two scholarship recipients

The loan was small, but it changed everything. I started selling fabric at the market. Now I employ two other women. My children eat three meals a day. That was not the case before.

Microloan recipient

Women's Empowerment Program

Every year when the school supplies arrive, you can see the children's faces light up. They run to school. For many families here, this is the difference between their child being educated or not.

A local school director

Partner school in Mali

Right now, a girl is waiting for a seat in a classroom

In 10 years we've funded entire school years in rural Mali, provided 500 microloans to women, and heard parents tell us: without you, our children wouldn't be in school. Help us reach the next village.

$25/month can sponsor a girl's education

Give Her a Seat → Volunteer Your Expertise

99% of every dollar goes directly to programs. Always.