Marissa Coutinho-Samake

Marissa Coutinho-Samake holds a Bachelor’s in Information Systems. She is married to Niankoro Yeah Samake, the Ambassador of Mali to India and they have two children. In 2011, she moved to Mali to support her husband’s ambition to become President of Mali. During her time in Mali, she has supported projects that address severe malnutrition issues among children in Mali as well as projects that teach women job skills. In 2012, despite a coup derailing elections and democracy, Marissa continued to stay in Mali to bring attention to the refugee issue and the fight to restore democracy. After July 2013 elections, Marissa continues to stay in Mali with her family and help raise awareness about sustainable development projects in the fields of education, healthcare, clean water and clean energy.