The legendary Timbuktu stands in the African country of Mali.  When travelers daydream, one of the things they daydream about is Timbuktu. But in recent years, revolution has brought the country Mali to a standstill.  One of the things that stands in the way of a stable country is the high illiteracy rate.

You can do something about that.

You may recall that Passports with Purpose had a goal of $115,000 to help the organization buildOn construct schools in Mali. They raised a very respectable $84,000. That awesome accomplishment  (which builds two schools plus providing adult literacy programs in one of the poorest countries in the world) makes me happy. But it isn’t quite the original goal.

Today is the big day when Passports with Purpose notifies the people who won some loot in their fund raiser for schools in Mali. 

But the people who contributed to Passports with Purpose efforts to help buildOn.org are WINNERS, even if they don’t get loot.

The deadline for winning that “loot” is past.

If you missed the deadline, and you still think it is a nifty idea to build schools in Mali, there’s good news for you. You can still donate. Just go to the Passports with Purpose donate page. 100% of your contribution goes to buildOn, the group who works with locals to provide schools and literacy programs.

I would be doubly thrilled if the hard work of the travel bloggers behind this project wound up raising enough money to fund ANOTHER school in Mali, wouldn’t you? Every little bit helps, so if you have not yet contributed to Passports with Purpose, please give yourself the gift of feeling really good about helping people who REALLY need the help.

And if you’re still dreaming the traveler’s dream of Timbucktu, read my review of Timbuctoo, by Tahir Shah– a historical look (in fictional form) at the search for the exotic Timbucktu. But if you’d like a look at the real Mali, read Jessica Voigt’s review of How to Make a Quilt in Africa.