Biography

Sory Mariko is a firm believer in Youth Empowerment as an effective strategy to tackle Africa’s development challenges. With over a decade of experience in international development in West Africa, he has been involved with impactful projects for various organizations. While at Mercy Corp, he collaborated closely with Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s D-Lab to assess energy needs in Mali. This collaboration led to a pilot introducing eco-friendly cooking technology to vulnerable households via a Youth entrepreneurship scheme, helping vulnerable families cut food expenses significantly. He also contributed to Mercy Corps Global Resilience Partnership project (focused on building resilience in vulnerable communities), fostering collaboration between Mercy Corps, a major telecommunications provider, and Mali’s Microfinance Institution Association. This resulted in a digital mobile platform that connected 800 young women entrepreneurs in village savings and loan groups to formal banking and access to micro-loans. Building on this experience, he joined the Aga Khan Foundation, managing institutional partnerships and grants and serving as the safeguarding focal point for the West Africa portfolio, encompassing Mali and Côte d’Ivoire.

Most recently, as country coordinator for the United Nations Volunteers program in Mali he partnered with UNDP and the Ministry of Health to launch community volunteering initiatives at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching 700,000 people with awareness campaigns.


Sory holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in international development. He dedicates his free time to volunteering as a professional mentor and coach for young graduates.