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A Mauritanian newspaper published an article about some of our projects. Watch: how/travel stories (this time translated in english)!
In this article Silent Work is really ‘Silent’: it is not mentionned once. They experience the projects as theirs, the village owns it.
And finally is  this our goal: to develop and stimulate the projects, we initiate and create, by the villagers themselves. They own them. They achieve what is important for them. Demba – and me being his spouse- is a member of the community, someone who feels responsible and stands for for the development of his people and region. Other Mauritanians look at him with astonishment. Of course everyone knows that donors from the Netherlands finance the projects. However, this is experienced as a tool one receives to realize a wonderful, good and solid project. There is no direct expression of gratitude, but there is a tremendous effort and investment of activity, despite all problems, to make it work and succesfull. Isn’t that far more important than “with gratitude to”….projected on projects, who will defeat after a few years…?

Three photographs of a little girl, expressing the joy, admiration and surprise for water

gushing from the soil like a fountain, with enormous force.

Maison des Sourds,  the House of the Deaf, is a place for meeting-, learning- and work for deaf in Nouakchott. Silent Work invited François Manga from Senegal to travel a long way to Nouakchott, to train 18 persons for 10 days. He has a long term experience in sign language for deaf children. The trainees came from different parts of Senegal and Mauritania: teachers, board members of organizations for the Deaf, a physician and employees of Silent Work.

It is very special that participants travelled so far in a desert world but even more that they, originating from different tribes, worked in such splendid cooperation for this united goal.

French was used as the main language, but employees of Silent Work translated in Arabic and local languages. The students made a list of desired gestures and a deaf assistant took care of executing  these gestures in a pure and beautiful way. All ended with an exam and report.

8 Students started shortly or wish to start a class for deaf children in their region, with assistance of Silent Work.

In continuation, in the summer of  2010 a one month Training will be organized in two classes for deaf: one in Mauritania, one in Senegal, with the emphasis on education in sign language for deaf children.

A girl of 14 years old, with a mutilated face has become a happy and beautiful girl of 16, after two corrective medical surgeries.
Mariamme did not only experience an exterior change, but one as well inside….

She is a charismatic girl full of joy and life, not hiding any more behind the tent-cloth of rags. The housing is very poor, clothes worn out, food insufficient, and the work tough.

But the sun shining in the Sahara, shines as well in the eyes of the people: they are touchingly proud of her being a supportive, friendly girl and opening up. She takes care of the small children in her family and helps her mother with tough jobs. Has fun with her peers and supports other inhabitants when necessary. No one recognizes her as the rigid, retreated and mostly silent child, filled with despair and foremost shame.

Her dream is to make tents: the traditional housing in the Sahara. Learning the craft is not expensive but the materials are.

We would like to buy the primary materials to support her to make a real housing for, and together with, her family.

Mariamme before the surgeries….. and after

by this link www.1procentclub.nl/projects/klamboes at: nieuwste projecten!

Deaf adults will produce mosquitonets in Mauritania and sell them to generate income and defeat malaria: by affordable nets of a locally researched model which offers shelter for complete families.
The money will be used for the starting- and furnishingcosts; furniture, stitching-machines, requisites etc. for the atelier.

Action of two young women: Sound for water!

Two young girls Emly (18 yrs) and Yvette (20 yrs) do want to contribute to the world by a positive action: to support a project and to offer unknown artists an opportunity to perform.

Silent Work appeals to them by not giving just money to African communities, but by mutual investment to reach the goal of a better future and to realize projects which make the communities independant form western funding.

The girls chose for clean drinking water: everybody needs it, it is universal….

» read more

The book Sluier van zand will be published in April 2010.

The book Kleur Bekennen is sold out but will be in reprint by December 15th, 2009.

Also have a look at all the other books.

Mariamme, a 16 year old girl had and will have a second facial surgery to diminish the mutilation. She completely covered herself in veils, not to frighten people. The first surgery had a miraculous effect. We hope this one will give her self-confidence towards her future.

Our renewed website!

Curious?

You already are at the start…..

We are very gratefull as well to Peter Bouwmeester of 1website4u who reshaped the site -so fitting- in record-time, Wiljo Woodi for her wonderful photographs, Yvette, Mieke and many others for their unwearying dedication.