'Talibe' is a Wolof word meaning 'follower' or 'disciple'. In Mauritania under the Talibe system, village boys, sometimes as young as 4 years old, are sent by their families to study the Qur'an with a marabout, a folk Islamic teacher. In return for a basic education of the Qur'an and minimal board and lodging, the boys are required to make a daily contribution to the marabout. The boys must earn this money themselves by begging on the streets or from house to house, selling small items in the market or theft. Thus the boys spend much of their lives on the streets. There are estimated to be as many as 1,000 Talibe boys roaming the streets of the capital Nouakchott.

The 'Talibe Boys' Project is currently operating 2 centres in the city and more than 100 boys are involved in the programs. Here the boys are shown love in action. They are given nutritious meals, a place to shower and some clothes. Twenty five of the boys are sponsored to go to local schools. There are also opportunities given in the centres for literacy classes teaching Pulaar, one of the local languages. Most of the boys cannot read or write and these literacy classes have helped many of them become literate. The older boys are also taught vocational skills in carpentry, hairdressing and tailoring to provide life skills. Several boys have gone on to apprenticeships with local craftsmen. Fun activities that all boys enjoy are also found in the centres. Football and art and craft classes are attended enthusiastically!

Our project demonstrates to the Talibe boys that they are loved and their lives have value. With opportunities of education and vocational skills these boys can have hope in the future. The project also gives the centre staff opportunity to have regular contact with the Marabouts, and to visit the boys' home villages and have contact with their parents, helping us to understand the conditions and beliefs that undergird the Talibe system. Through such visits, we are able to help people envision transformation, and to fight the poverty that allows such a system to persist.

Nouakchott in Mauritania is a young and very poor city with a population of around 1 million. The majority of its inhabitants are first or second generation migrants who have left rural areas because of economic pressures and who now live in urban ghettos surrounding the city.

The key question arises, how to help the poor in Mauritania?

What we have learned through many years living amongst the people we serve, learning the local language and sharing our lives with shanty town dwellers, is that the BEST way to tackle the root causes of their poverty is to empower and equip the local people to build effective community structures.

By focusing on the identification and promotion of key strengths inherent within the communities, rather than on the elimination of weaknesses and problems, we build with an asset based community development and self help approach.

This year we will be promoting our self help groups and establishing these in new areas of the city, training community health volunteers, developing the current kindergarten programs, continuing with literacy programs, micro-business training and training in worldview. Our aim is to build on the strong foundations which have been laid, help families identify new opportunities and encourage a deeper and broader ownership of the program by the communities themselves.

Previous and ongoing surveys undertaken at the centres clearly show a marked improvement in the welfare of the participants themselves and their families over time. Beneficiaries show increases in income-generating activity, increased ownership of poultry, sheep and goats, better school attendance among children and greatly increased functional literacy, whilst a decrease in severe malnutrition among preschool children. We were greatly encouraged!

We are confident and optimistic that our eight community development centres and self help groups will have a positive impact amongst the poor we serve in Nouakchott.