Children in the Niger Desert: a new chapter in the humanitarian mission

The start of the procedures for the creation of the Swiss headquarters of Bambini nel Deserto marked the beginning of this new adventure in mid-2023, with the aim of creating an organization made up of many BnDs and in this case the one in Agadez made up by young Nigerians determined to be protagonists in the development of their country. An international partnership is already forming with the Children in the Desert Italy and Switzerland network, joining forces to tackle challenges and create lasting impact.

Children in the Niger Desert will focus on managing, promoting and monitoring ongoing projects. The new NGO will propose new interventions, such as the upcoming two-ambulance project, which represents a significant step forward in improving access to health services in remote areas of Niger. Presence in the field will ensure accurate management and tangible impact.

Being an autonomous humanitarian organization recognized by the Nigerian authorities, Children in the Niger Desert will be able to actively participate in international tenders, obtain grants and undertake other fundraising initiatives. This recognition will allow us to further expand the resources available to support vital projects that will directly benefit the local communities that we will carry out with our historic partners such as AFAA of Ousmane Kato, Mondo Touareg of Pordenone and other Italian and international NGOs.

Leading this new initiative is an Italian-Nigerian board made up of people who have been involved in the Acarrara Project in Niger for over two years. This highly competent and motivated team has already completed successful projects in various fields; agricultural production, reforestation and primary education, demonstrating a lasting commitment to the well-being of the local communities of Niger with particular attention to the Tuareg of Acarrara from which the President of Bambini nel Deserto Moussa Yahia comes from who, despite living in Trento, has certainly not forgotten the his community of origin.

2024 therefore promises to be a crucial year for Children in the Desert, which looks beyond European borders to create a transnational network similar to organizations such as Terre des Hommes. Joining forces is the key, and the commitment to building bridges between continents is the decisive step to address global challenges with a global perspective. Moussa arrived in Italy and was perfectly inserted into the social fabric of Trentino and gave life to a “movement” of people who guaranteed the success of vital projects for the community of Acarrara.