Mamadou Ly

Mamadou joined ARED at its founding in 1991 and became its Executive Director in 2008. He is a specialist in adult education and has developed numerous pedagogical innovations, including ARED’s additive bilingual reading program for elementary students. Mamadou is an expert in government relations and community engagement, and he has managed large-scale programs funded by the Hewlett Foundation, Dubai Cares, Chemonics/USAID, and RTI/USAID.

In Senegal, he currently leads a multifaceted partnership with the Ministry of Education—supported by foundations such as the Gates Foundation, Echidna Giving, and Prevail—to provide technical assistance for the national reform process, which is now well advanced toward the nationwide expansion of bilingual education. In Mauritania, he leads a project focused on early grade reading in Arabic and French, and in The Gambia, he coordinates a partnership with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to support the use of Wolof-English bilingual education for improving foundational learning outcomes.

Mamadou is also a materials developer, a specialist in publishing African-language materials, and a trainer of trainers who has led numerous trainings and events across West Africa.