Mauritania

Mauritania: Restoring Childhood in the Shadows of Slavery and Silence

Explore Mauritania:

Discover how children in this desert nation are breaking free from forced labor, discrimination, and exclusion — and meet the quiet forces leading the way to dignity, education, and freedom.

The Situation for Children in Mauritania

Mauritania is a nation of vast deserts and layered traditions, but for many children, it is also a place of deep injustice. Systemic inequality, modern slavery, and school exclusion have made childhood fragile — especially for those born into the wrong class or caste. These are the three most urgent challenges:

Descent-Based Slavery and Child Domestic Servitude

Children born into the Haratine (former slave) caste or Black African communities are still forced into unpaid labor, herding, or domestic servitude — especially girls. Legal protections exist but are rarely enforced.

Exclusion From Education Due to Poverty, Discrimination, and Gender

Many children in rural areas — especially girls and ethnic minorities — are excluded from schooling due to cost, language barriers, or cultural restrictions. Some schools segregate informally, and dropout rates remain high.

Statelessness and Lack of Birth Registration

Thousands of children, especially from Afro-Mauritanian or migrant communities, lack birth certificates. Without legal identity, they are barred from school, healthcare, and protection — rendering them invisible.

Despite these challenges, Mauritania’s children remain full of hope, dreaming of education, health, and opportunities for a better tomorrow.

Key Contributor #1: SOS Esclaves

Freeing Children From Modern Slavery and Fighting for Justice

For over two decades, SOS Esclaves has worked to end descent-based slavery in Mauritania — rescuing children, pursuing legal justice, and pressuring the state to uphold its own anti-slavery laws. They provide shelter, counseling, and school enrollment for children born into servitude.

The organization works closely with survivors, helping them testify, reclaim identity, and rebuild family life. Their legal victories — though rare — send powerful signals across the country.

In a land where slavery still lingers, SOS Esclaves fights for freedom with every rescued child.

Key Contributor #2: Association des Femmes Chefs de Famille (AFCF)

Defending Girls and Stateless Children From Abuse and Exclusion

AFCF provides safe housing, legal aid, and school access for girls escaping forced labor, marriage, or gender-based violence. They also work with undocumented children — helping families obtain identity papers and access public services.

Their shelters serve as bridges between isolation and opportunity. Staff include lawyers, teachers, and survivors-turned-advocates who now speak for the next generation.

For the child whose name was never written down, AFCF helps write a new beginning.

Key Event #1: Freedom Through Education Campaign – Brakna Region

Transitioning Formerly Enslaved Children Into School and Safety

In 2023, SOS Esclaves launched the Freedom Through Education Campaign, enrolling 150 children freed from domestic servitude into local schools and transitional programs. Each child received uniforms, meals, and psychosocial support, while teachers were trained in trauma-informed care.

Parents — often mothers who had escaped slavery themselves — attended workshops on child rights and community healing.

The campaign proved that education isn’t just learning — it’s liberation.

Key Event #2: Identity for Every Child Drive – Nouakchott

Registering Stateless Children and Reopening Doors to School

In 2024, AFCF partnered with local officials to host an Identity for Every Child Drive, assisting undocumented children — mostly from Afro-Mauritanian and migrant communities — in obtaining legal birth registration.

Volunteers traveled door-to-door helping families file paperwork, while mobile legal clinics reviewed cases of unregistered children expelled from school.

Over 600 children were officially documented — many for the first time — restoring their right to learn, be treated, and be counted.

Top Grassroot Nonprofits Across Mauritania