A country in northwestern Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean and located in the Sahel zone. More than 80% of Mauritania’s territory is covered by the sands of the Sahara. It is the fourth most climate-vulnerable country in the world. Recurring cycles of prolonged drought (leading to the degradation of natural resources) and a deepening water deficit have created a severe food insecurity crisis. Although it is home to about 5.2 million people, Mauritania is a textbook example of hunger caused by poverty and insufficient local food production.
28.02.2024
It’s a bit like driving a rover on another planet. I’m not sure which one. Hot, sandy, harsh, and unjust. 90% of Mauritania is just desert sand. Dust has been hanging in the air for a good week. We cannot see the sky. Everything is in sepia — a single fixed shade that enters the eyes, bites the skin, irritates the nose.
If the world ends somewhere, we are very close to that place.
“The Islamic Republic of Mauritania has religion written into its constitution. There are no Christians among Mauritanians. Everyone practices Islam,” explains Father Martin Happe, the bishop of Nouakchott. Next to him sits Father Victor, the bishop-elect, who will receive episcopal ordination in April and replace the retiring Bishop Happe.
The Catholic mission in this country is merely and entirely about being present, about engaging in social projects. Any form of evangelization would violate the rights written in the constitution.
We eat dinner together. In a modest house, not resembling a bishop’s residence. Father Happe sets the table, he scolds us when we get up to help. “You can do that when I come to your place.” We talk about how kindness begets kindness, respect begets respect. That one needs to listen to be heard and that these are the most important principles that allow a handful of Christians from other countries to be here.
Bishop Happe, Sister Ewa, and missionaries from Atar and Kaédi teach us about Mauritania. We won’t change the customs and the culture because, in Mauritania, they are more than sacred. We won’t solve the problems, we won’t remedy the injustice. We are only allowed to be here, to listen, and to heal wounds. For us, that is “only”. For the people of Mauritania, thus “only” means saving the life of another child who, without our presence here, would die of hunger.
08.01.2025
“People are ashamed of their poverty. To keep others from thinking they have nothing, they put a pot of water over the fire outside their home. When it starts to boil, they add sand — pretending to cook so it looks like they’ll be eating, like they used to,” says Dr. Youba from the hospital […]
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 […]
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 […]
