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 be taught, together with several of her neighbor friends, to cook nutritious food from readily available local ingredients. Aminetou and the other children under age five who took part in the program would, for twelve days, gather at the home of one of their neighbors who opened her home for the program. Early every morning, the mothers would first cook a nutritious porridge together and feed their children. While the food is cooking and the children are playing, the trained community volunteers and nutrition coordinator teach the mothers important lessons about nutrition, health and hygiene.
Aminetou was moderately malnourished, but her eight month old baby brother, Sidi, showed signs of severe malnutrition. He lay apathetically in his mother’s arms, only looking at us if we picked him up. Because he needed more intensive care, we referred him and his mother to a local hospital where his mom was given little sachets of special calorie laden paste called “Plumpy Nut” to feed Sidi. Plumpy Nut is specially designed for severely malnourished children like Sidi who are too malnourished to absorb the nutrients in normal food.
Following the twelve days of nutrition training with the mothers and children, we always visit each child in their home to see how things are going and to encourage the mothers in applying what they’ve learned. What a joy it was to arrive at Aminetou and Sidi’s home and see the changes in Sidi after two weeks with Plumpy Nut. His cheeks were starting to get chubby and he looked around with interest as he was sitting unassisted on the floor. He proved that he wasn’t apathetic anymore by protesting loudly when we tried to pick him up, showing that he knew and cared about who held him. His mother must have been faithful to follow the instructions she had been given and we hope that she will continue to use the training she received in our nutrition program to better care for Sidi and Aminetou.

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 the virus.

Read more (in French) in the local news at http://www.cridem.org/C_Info.php?article=664368

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. It also financed the installation of an irrigation pump for one community. In addition the project provided micro-loans to 14 communities, primarily to support the creation of community shops which allow local families to buy basic staples at a lower than normal price. Approximately 2500 adults and children directly benefitted from the project activities in 2012.

The health and nutrition project focuses on providing basic health services and training to families in the region, including blood pressure monitoring and counseling about a healthy diet, wound care and first aid training, nutritional training, and dental care. The project served approximately 2000 individuals in 2012.

Continuing to develop a 13 hectare orchard in the Gorgol region, in partnership with the U.S. business « Just Neem.» The orchard is planted with Neem trees and Mango trees, as well as some seasonal fruits and vegetables to serve as an income-generating project for the local community. In 2012 we sponsored the creation of a locally-registered business in Mauritania that will continue to expand and manage this project.

Ongoing support for seven Community Development Centers in the Arafat, El Mina, and Teyarett districts of Nouakchott. Through these centers Doulos provided support for 65 women’s self-help groups, including providing training in financial management, parenting, and community development. In the Arafat neighborhood Doulos also offered a training program for 20 community health volunteers. In Arafat and El Mina, Doulos supported and supervised 6 community kindergartens serving 130 preschool students, and sponsored two training workshops for 12 kindergarten teachers and teachers aides. Approximately 2000 local families have participated in some way in the activities of the Community Development Centers.
Expansion of our business development training program to help local entrepreneurs launch and manage small business. In 2012 we provided intensive training to 41 local entrepreneurs, and ongoing coaching of 26 previously- trained entrepreneurs, as well as training 5 local trainers to run the business training courses in the future

Running a nutritional rehabilitation program in the Sa’ada neighborhood of Nouakchott, a very poor area of the city with a population of about 24,000 families. In 2012, this program provided nutritional training and medical support to approximately 200 families with malnourished children. In addition the program offered a training program in nutrition and community development to 15 community health volunteers in October 2012. These volunteers conducted home visits to 105 families in the neighborhood to offer basic nutritional teaching and training regarding the importance of good hygiene in preventing disease.

Continued management of two centers to support Talibe boys (Koranic students sent to beg on the streets) in the neighborhoods of Sebkha and Teyarett in Nouakchott. The centers provide regular hot meals, literacy training, vocational training, and opportunities for recreation and sports to approximately 100 of the Talibe boys in Nouakchott. In addition, the program provides school scholarships to 25 of the older boys. In September 2012, the Talibé center in Sebkha hosted a special event, a two day training workshop on personal transformation and community development, attended by 20 of the oldest Talibé boys.