Learning Touch Points for Girls & Women

Haratine Community, even they represent the majority of the population in Mauritania, their living conditions remain catastrophic due to non-education and missing social justice. The education system in Mauritania is highly failing in providing schools and Teachers in rural zones where haratine community lives. Generally, their human rights is not respected, specialty in term of Women and Kids rights where slavery and its vestiges play important meaning. The Illiteracy within haratine reach more than 70% and the most affected are Girls .

Slavery practices over generations resulted in exclusion of Girls from education and high women’s illiteracy.  We will provide Teachers for empowerment Class in rural zones and train in human rights. Support Girls to get graduated and avoid early marriage.

In rural zones the population is facing big education issues: either the schools are not available or badly equipped. The teacher Staffs do no move to those zones and due to missing authority control they stay in the capital Nouakchott (while receiving their salary) and show up only at the start (at the opening) and the end (at the closing) of the year. That results in bad education and most of the kids abandon the schools without any graduation. Girls are forced to get married at a low age of 12-14 years. 

Sahel Foundation Learning Touch Points will provide empowerment classes over 2 years for Girls to help them to pass graduation tests and reach higher education levels. Dedicated Teachers will act as main contact to accompany the Girls students to gain better knowledges in education. The support will reach up to 500 Girls living in rural zones in 5 to 6 regions of Mauritania

Also, Sahel Foundation Learning Touch Points will provide training for adult women, mostly descendent of former slaves, in Women and Kids rights, danger of genital mutilation and early marriage of Girls. The Training sessions will be organized Rural zones and big cities of Mauritania. The target is to reach more than 1000 women.

Project is aiming to create Learning Touch Points in different Slum or Village areas (Poor neighborhoods) where the target population on a first stage are families living in bad financial conditions.

The Learning Touch Points will be located in strategic areas to be accessible for targeted persons. The Project activities are covering 2 Champers: Education support for Girls and Trainings for adult women

1-Provide education support for Girls from poor and vulnerable families (Primary and secondary school levels) over 2 years (2020-2022)

-Organize weekly classes for all school levels in 8-10 “learning centers” in 5 to 6 Regions (Trarza, Brakna, Gorgol, Guidimagha, Assaba, Hodhs) in Mauritania, located in the zone where the education system is failing the most.

-Organize quarterly empowerment classes for Candidates for School graduations and Tests in all school subjects (Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Sciences, … ect)

2-to provide training for adult women in Human rights with focus on Women's rights, children's rights

-Provide Training sessions for activists (raise awareness about Domestic violence, trade in person) -Run awareness campaign about negative effects of Early marriage and genital mutilation

Sahel is running initiative to support kids of families with low financial resources. Last year we started a pre-pilot project in a rural zone. The gained experiences and the requests & wishes we receive from the population help in successfully implement the project. Our investigation led to the conclusion that Girls abandon the school mainly because of bad schools or teachers. They get married in early age and remain non educated. With empowerment classes they can reach higher levels and get graduation. The main drivers is the needs in teachers and school materials, but also missing sensibilization for girls education.

We support Kids and Women from the community Haratin.  The Haratin, also referred to as ‘Black Moors’, are the largest minority group in Mauritania, as they represent between 50 and 55% of the population. Their ethnic origin is Sub-Saharan African. They were invaded, enslaved and assimilated during raids by Arab-Berbers from the 8th century onwards. Today the Haratin are nearly excluded politically and economically because their representation in high positions is less than 10% in the government, diplomacy, army, etc.  

Strengthening the human rights culture in Mauritania at this volatile and transformational time is especially crucial. The needs in Mauritania are acute and the historical moment in Mauritania is highly opportune for human rights and democracy building interventions. Mauritania is playing an increasing role in regional security and is the recipient of much military investment. However, the impoverished population is not well served by the highly centralized and authoritarian state. Human rights abuses are suffered most acutely by the enslaved/newly freed. Women often suffer the worst abuses of the slave-culture.  Sahel Foundation is having several local representations in the different zones of the country. This structure helps the organization to share information in short time, support activities related to meeting, caravans and advocacy events.

Sahel Foundation is cooperating with other local and International NGO like SOS Esclaves, AFCF, and The Society for threated people (Germany),   

The project will be monitored by a dedicated project team under the supervision of a local project supervisor who will be reporting to a project manager. It is planned to have several gateways (predefined checkpoints) where an interim project progress report will be provided via emails for the reviews and validation. The first project evaluation will take place 2 months after the start of the activities but followed by other evaluation events. 

Every interim report will cover:

a) Financial report: expenses realized, degree of budget execution and (adapted) budget planning

b) Narrative report: activities realized, signaling success and obstacles, analysis of challenges ahead, expected risks and opportunities for the next project steps. 

We are building up a good reputation in the field of education. Our team is very well trained in management and control of  project. The local team is composed of experienced members and includes Treasurer, Controller and Project Manager. The organization adapted a specific role to avoid any fraud or misuse of the funds. That role consists on the absolute need to hold board committee meetings prior to any decision on spending money and run regular reviews & evaluations after every project steps.     

Sahel Foundation Teams are visiting the target population, organizaing meetings, awarnes campaigns, providing trainings and Education classes. For the communication we use Emails, Internet, facebook, WhatsApp, ...ETC

Over the last 3 years we supported more than 1000 Kids to get educated in privat schools in 2 Big Cities (Nouakchott and Nouadhibou). We provided voluntary support for victimes of slavery to get freedom and victimes of injustice in the adminisration (Police and justice).

Our Target is extend our activity in the rural zones and reach 500 Kids and 1000 women living in vulnerable famillies, mostly decsent of former slaves.

Our Goal is to establish learning Touch Points in all 12 Administrativ regions of Mauritania. Our final objectives is to have our own schools with salary Staff in the Rural zones, where the public school system is failling to satisfy the need of the population.

The main barriers for our organisation is lack of Funds. The number of the donors is limited and our members are majority unemployed.

Other barriers are the financial situation of the famillies: they tend to send kids to work rather to schools. The mentality of the population is further obstacle: Schools and education are reserved for wealthy persons.

The Engagement of Sahel Foundation: We are continually improvement our performance by workshops and Training in Fundraising and building corporation.

The organization decided to seek the supports for slavery victims and human rights defenders in Mauritania and works in close partnership with international NGO’s having focus on Mauritania.

The key coordinators of Sahel Foundation are having more than twenty years experience working with international human rights defenders. They followed many trainings in voluntary and advocacy campaigns and alliance building. Also other Sahel Foundation Board members participated in advocacy locally and internationally. 

We will involve selected members based on their availibility and competences and voluntary basis. Additionaly the project will be managed by Full-time Staff (2, Coordinators), Part time-Staff (3, Supervisors ), Contractors (10,Teachers).

The fund will be used for perchaising Schools Materials, Travels, smal fee for kids famillies, Local renting.

The majority of the active members are descends of former slaves and having education degrees. They are activists for human rights, engaged since years in different NGO and mouvements fighting for justice and equality.

They know very well the society and the issues facing the the target population.

Sahel Foundation is cooperating with other local and International NGO like MACHAAL ELHOURYA, SOS Esclaves, AFCF, and The Society for threated people (Germany)   

We offer Volunteer work for persons in need. The permenent direct communication and regular visit are the main key for our success

We will have to use only the requested fund with application. We have no other resources

Lack of financial resources

Human rights organisation, Education, advocacy

Project Scope

Project is aiming to create Learning Touch Points in different Slum or Village areas (Poor neighborhoods) where the target population on a first stage are families living in bad financial conditions.

The Learning Touch Points will be located in strategic areas to be accessible for targeted persons. The Project activities are covering 2 Champers: Education support for Girls and Trainings for adult women

1-Provide education support for Girls from poor and vulnerable families (Primary school levels) over 2 years (2020-2022)

-Organize weekly classes for all school levels in 8-10 “learning centers” in 5 to 6 Regions (Trarza, Brakna, Gorgol, Guidimagha, Assaba, Hodhs) in Mauritania, located in the zone where the education system is failing the most.

-Organize quarterly empowerment classes for Candidates for School graduations and Tests in all school subjects (Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Sciences, … ect)

2-to provide training for adult women in Human rights with focus on Women's rights, children's rights

-Provide Training sessions for activists (raise awareness about Domestic violence, trade in person)

-Run awareness campaign about negative effects of Early marriage and genital mutilation

Timing:  2 Years (10/2020-10/2022)

Financial Needs: 136.875USD