Assistance to migrants in Nouadhibou – Mauritania
The association “Daniel Brottier” is an integral part of our Local Development Office in Nouadhibou, Mauritania. It is led by Father Florian Pachel Mbabe Mohizi, a native of Congo Brazzaville. Today, he launches a distress call to us in the same way as the migrants he has been accompanying every day for several years…
“23 October 2020: 140 missing at sea … 26 October 2020: 45 missing … 10 November 2020: 119 missing. A scary litany that continues to be written despite the restrictions on mobility imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Clandestine emigration by sea has resumed in recent months… 26 October 2020: 516 migrants rescued at sea… 28 October 2020: 121 rescued… 29 October: 27 rescued… 30 October 2020: 66 rescued… 06 November 2020: 120 rescued… It is to the latter, survivors of shipwrecks off the Mauritanian coast, that the Daniel Brottier association comes to the aid together with the Red Cross. They are mainly from sub-Saharian Africa and in particular from Senegal, Mali, Gambia, Guinea and Ivory Coast. This phenomenon of illegal immigration is accelerated by the Covid-19 health crisis, the regional political crises of recent years, youth unemployment and the disastrous management of economies that only benefit the oligarchs. The horizon is totally obstructed! There is no future for them! The only solution is to leave and try to reach Europe at any price – even at the cost of their own lives. »
“As part of its commitment to vulnerable migrants, refugees and Mauritanians for about 2 years, our Association has set up a social protection mechanism in Nouadhibou for the benefit of migrants, refugees and vulnerable people. Here are our actions:
A “Welcome-Listening and Accompaniment” office where people in difficulty are welcomed. The mission of this ecclesial unit is to implement all the social and charitable action of the Church, to provide an attentive ear to all those who come to it and to offer support and comfort, to respond to requests for subsistence, to raise awareness against illegal immigration and prevention against Covid-19 and to provide emergency food aid, hygiene and sanitary products. The centre is open from Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. We intervene in the following areas:
– The promotion of women: “Association Daniel BROTTIER” is actively involved in helping vulnerable migrant, refugee and Mauritanian women to improve their living conditions. For some of these women, family responsibilities are tremendous in the sense that they act as heads of families.
– We help migrants who apply to us to find employment and support themselves. We sometimes help them to return voluntarily to their country of origin.
– We promote access to medical care through direct contact and follow-up with doctors and health establishments in Nouadhibou. In this field, about a hundred people every month use our Association and benefit from the necessary medical care. These are mainly migrants and refugees/asylum seekers, but also some vulnerable Mauritanians. In general, we cover 50% of the prescriptions, x-rays, scans and hospitalisation costs.
– We provide opportunities for illiterate women to be able to write and speak French, so that they can communicate better in their respective workplaces.
– We encourage and promote professional training in computer science- office automation, accountancy-management, sewing-dyeing, embroidery, hairdressing, cooking and baking workshops in order to help young migrants and Mauritanians to find employment more easily so that they can better integrate into society and take charge of their own destiny.
– We are looking for temporary solutions for requests for one-off help with food, health and housing for newly arrived migrants who do not know anyone in Nouadhibou.
– We provide basic necessities to pregnant women and their babies after delivery.
– We grant microcredits to some women to start a small self-sufficiency project.
All these activities show how much more work is still needed to find ways and means to bring migrants in great difficulty out of precariousness and, above all, out of the temptations of drugs and sometimes prostitution. We act to give back to migrants and refugees all their dignity and to favour a good social integration. »
Key figures in 2020 / “Accueil-écoute” office in Nouadhibou
– Home listening: 1252 men and 971 women
– Direct assistance (food, hygiene and sanitation) to migrants: 997 men and 820 women.
– Micro Finance: 21 men and 48 women
– Job search for 29 men and 46 women
– Literacy: 37 women and 12 boys in 12 months
– Computer-office automation: 32 women and 48 boys (divided into 4 groups)
Accounting and management: 6 women and 12 boys / Kitchen and pastry: 18 women and 9 men.
This is what we need today to continue to carry out our work with the weakest and most vulnerable:
| Désignation | Ouguiya | Euros 1 € = 44,5 MUR |
| Welcoming/Listening/Accompanying migrants and refugees | 20 000 MRU | 438 € |
| Basic foodstuffs | 80 000 MRU | 1 752 € |
| Raising awareness, educating and sensitizing migrants on the danger of illegal immigration | 80 000 MRU | 1 752 € |
| Assistance to shipwreck survivors | 120 000 MRU | 2 627 € |
| Prévention against Covid-19 and STDs | 80 000 MRU | 1 752 € |
| Emergency health and hygiene assistance | 120 000 MRU | 2 627 € |
| Vocational training | 160 000 MRU | 3 503 € |
| Microcredit for 25 beneficiaries | 120 000 MRU | 2 627 € |
| Accomodation and lodging for 30 beneficiaries | 80 000 MRU | 1 752 € |
| Fuel / Communication | 40 000 MRU | 876 € |
| Total | 900 000 MRU | 19 706 € |
