About the foundation

La Khaïma Foundation favours small projects which leads to great change.

Proudly created in 2009 in Quebec and Mauritania, the La Khaïma Foundation is committed to the development of nomadic communities in Mauritania.

Social economy, sustainable mobility, ancestral knowledge, food sovereignty and fairtraide. La Khaïma Foundation aims to develop agropastoral communities and the nomadic population of Mauritania.

La Khaïma is also a Nomad Festival in Montreal and in Mauritania, a restaurant in Montreal and the production and sale of the famous hibiscus juice Atigh’s.

SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY : Acacia Road

In the mauritanian desert, mobility is crucial to commerce, access to health and education. The Acacia Road project is a future green highway in Mauritania, connecting Ividjaren to the Route de l’Espoir (the Highway of Hope), which is the national highway that passes within 5 km of Ividjaren.

Phase 1: Plant Acacias along the future road, the roots will stabilize the sandy ground and block the movement of dunes

Phase 2: Cover the and construct the path of the road with clay, for a compact road without machinery or bitumen.

The project aims to tackle several major, closely interconnected issues: desertification, climate change, and biodiversity loss. The project envisages a completely collaborative and inclusive approach, integrated with the local communities and other actors on the ground.

ECONOMIE SOCIALE : Working together to address inflation

All too often, the nomads are forced to sell their animals, which is a major economic and symbolic loss. What we’re trying to achieve is to allow access to basic foodstuffs without the inhabitants having to pay too heavy a price for it.

The Foundation makes useful purchases for the inhabitants. What’s important is that these purchases be made in bulk, which helps reduce prices.

Our goal is to slowly lessen this dependency by working on these various projects that empower locals to create sustainable economies, whereby the Foundation is no longer needed.

ANCESTRAL KNOWLEDGE : Valuing ancestral knowledge

Nothing can be done without first taking the time to listen. Since its inception in 2009, the La Khaïma Foundation has been consulting with the nomads of Mauritania to better understand their needs.

Nothing can be done without including ancestral knowledge, whether one is dealing with ecotourism, sustainable development, tree planting, the installation of solar-powered water pumps, development of market gardening and orchards, the use of solar energy for lighting and food production, or combating desertification.

FOOD SOVEREIGNTY : New Solutions

Presently, the community of Ividjaren faces acute dry spells made more severe due to climate change. Faced with record high temperatures, we are looking for new solutions.

2012 was an important year for the Foundation. This was when we began researching on ways to help address water supply problems. After looking for solutions, we organized a well clean-up project. We installed solar panels to draw water from the wells and thus make irrigation possible. In 2013, a drip irrigation system was installed to allow for a new garden to be setup. In 2014, a set of sustainable development initiatives were launched in partnership with the agropastoral cooperative of Ividjaren, such as refurbishing an old well and installing low-cost solar panels in several villages.

The foundation helped fund the creation of a seed bank. The particular seeds in the bank are adapted to a desert environment. They are gathered and cared for by women who use nets to protect their saplings. At the same time, a new pump was installed to increase the amount of water taken from the aquifer helping in both reducing labour output and increasing production.  

FAIR TRADE : Reconciliating development, dignity and pleasure

The Khaïma Foundation helps bridge the gap between producer and consumer by purchasing locally made traditional handbags and ingredients. These communities are proud to sell their products at the other end of the world, in Canada.

Handbags: Made of traditional textiles, the women in the community are empowered and recognized as preservers of old production techniques and designs that would have otherwise been gradually lost. Thus, old motifs remain alive and we hope, thriving. For the new generation of artisans, learning these skills allows them to stay connected with previous generations.

Hibiscus flowers: They are the jewels of the desert. The extreme conditions of the Sahara strengthen their revitalizing properties. Nomads have been cultivating them for centuries, preparing them according to an ancestral recipe, which permits one to preserve their natural essence. By purchasing this local ingredient the money earned allows the cultivators to make a good income and develop their communities