Recently we were conducting a community nutrition screening on the outskirts of Nouakchott – weighing young children and measuring their arm circumference to identify children suffering from malnutrition. A three-year-old girl Aminetou was identified as being moderately malnourished, and she and her mother were invited to attend the Doulos nutrition program where the mother would

How far can you stretch $7? Last year 24 men and women from poor neighborhoods in Nouakchott participated in Doulos’ first intensive business training course known as Dynamic Business Start-up Project (DBSP). Each student used 2000 ouguiyas of their own money (about $7USD) as capital in some kind of small money-making activity. Students applied the

The menace of Ebola has come very close to Mauritania’s borders but we are thankful to not yet have seen anyone here infected. Last week, together with the commune of Saada where our nutrition program is centered, we hosted sessions on Ebola readiness and prevention – familiarising locals with the nature and prevention techniques for

Every Monday, Lesley, an expatriate volunteer, visits the Community Development Centers’ kindergartens. She uses her expertise in education to train the teachers in student-oriented teaching methods. It’s a difficult task in a context where teachers prefer rote memorization over engagement. Lesley works hard to establish rapport and productive working relationships with the teachers. Recently she

Most Talibe boys lack the opportunity to attend school. Through Doulos’ literacy classes, occupational training, and school sponsorship program, the boys develop the necessary skills for obtaining meaningful employment in the future. Education is a critical element in confronting the fatalistic attitudes which teach that we have no control over our lives and circumstances and

Doulos Comunity supports a range of rural development projects in Mauritania. One project focuses on agricultural development, including loans for appropriate technology, and water projects. A second focuses on nutrition and health education. In 2012, the Agricultural Development project provided 117 plows, 1500 meters of fencing and 11750 meters of barbed wire to local farmers.