PROGRAMS
Gardens in the Desert
Thanks to the compassion and knowledge of people who have not forgotten the suffering of this largely-abandoned people, the desert is beginning to bloom with fruits and vegetables - necessities for health for the 160,000 children and families living in the refugee camps.
The Saharawi have the possibility of planting small family gardens, using specially-designed absorbent material that, when placed in the sand along with seeds and a little water, offers hope for families to be ale to provide important nutrients for themselves both now and in their future.
Your financial donation can help bring about this miracle of creating gardens in the desert by supplying seed or growing material to a famiily. Please join us in helping the Saharawi help themselves and ease their suffering as they wait for justice and restoration to their homeland of Western Sahara, North Africa.
Essalam English Center
In 2004, an educational center, Essalam English Center, was built in the Saharawi refugee camp of Smara. The goal of the center is to provide an excellent education and the best possible learning environment for students.
The Essalam English Center teaches English as a foreign language in a communicative-based environment that includes all four areas of language acquisition: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Fall and spring semesters each hold 12 week classes with upwards of 60 students per semester. The center has 5 full-time Saharawi instructors. There are also a number of US instructors each semester who facilitate advanced classes.
Material and equipment needs for Essalam include teaching materials, English-Arabic dictionaries, and student desks and chairs. Financial assistance is needed for air transportation for the US teachers and salaries for the Saharawi staff.