A country in northwestern Africa bordering the Atlantic Ocean, in the Sahel zone. Mauritania is mostly covered by the sands of Sahara (in more than 80%). It is the fourth most sensitive country in the world in terms of climate changes. The recurring cycles of long-term drought (resulting in degradation of natural resources) and the aggravating water deficit additionally contribute to lack of food safety, from which the country suffers. Although it is populated by only 4.4 million people, it is a classic example of the problem of hunger caused by poverty and insufficient production of food.
19.03.2024
“It is a good sign if the child is crying. It signals that their strength is returning, that they have the energy to show they are suffering. Hunger kills in silence.”
“Why do people here starve?”
“Hunger has always been present in the Sahara. The desert is not welcoming. It has nothing to offer. It only takes away.”
We are in Atar, the last major town in the north of Mauritania. Just a bit further begins a sea of sand stretching for thousands of kilometers.
“This boy is one year old and weighs two kilos. And this girl has acute viral conjunctivitis.”
Sister Edwige, guides us in a white coat through the nutrition center, which is bursting at the seams in the morning hours.
“Some mothers only need formula for their children. They are malnourished and exhausted themselves. It’s impossible for their bodies to also nourish a child. However, the Grey Sisters here mainly save children in the acute and moderate phases of malnutrition. This is already a fight for their lives.”
If they succeed and the child survives, everything must be done to minimize the consequences of hunger. The fundamental difference between a child’s hunger and an adult’s hunger is that an adult’s body can rebuild its strength. A starving child’s body loses the ability to properly form the necessary neurons. That child will never be who they could have become.
On two pages of a notebook, Sister Edwige meticulously listed what is most lacking in the kitchen and medicine cabinet. “Flour, vegetables, paracetamol, vitamins, electrolytes. If possible, some eggs and milk.” It can only be possible thanks to you all.
Thank you for every cent. We try to turn each one into new chances for these little ones. Thank you for being there. I know you care because, thanks to you, our website crashes from time to time. We are working on it to accommodate even more of you. In the meantime, please don’t be discouraged. If it doesn’t open right away, give us a moment. If you’re in a hurry, you can support the nutrition center through a traditional transfer. Here is the account number:
Good Factory Foundation
84 1090 1883 0000 0001 2398 7852 (Santander Bank Polska)
28.03.2024
Today in Senegal, entire families are preparing Ngalakh. They are preparing it but won’t eat it yet. Only after the Passion Play, after the burial of Jesus, Christians gather and in the spirit of mourning share Ngalakh with Muslims. It symbolizes the harmony that transcends differences between their religions. Ngalakh is a type of dessert […]
11.03.2024
The Sahara is both beautiful and harsh. It commands respect. Tourists, who visit briefly, see its beauty but don’t grasp how harsh it is. For those who know no other climate, life here is easier. They understand that one does not argue with the desert. Any form of disobedience carries severe consequences. Slavery doesn’t need […]
07.03.2024
“Where are we going today?” “Not far.” “So, same place as yesterday?” I tease Abdullah because in Mauritania everything is either “far” or “not far”. That’s the local way of measuring distance. You can’t make a Moor count kilometers. After a week in Mauritania, I lose faith in kilometers and watches. Abdullah is our compass. […]
