HUMANITARIAN AID
Founder of the rally Thierry Sabine was well aware of how difficult life was in Africa and the emergency to act, also knowing that the rally could be a precious tool. In his spirit, the vocation of the Paris Dakar was to be useful to the countries that would welcome it. The actions that were initiated as of 1985 have continued inspiring the organizers and then the rally competitors who also help out in different projects.
ACTIONS DAKAR – A CONSTANT SOLIDARITY
Since September 2002, A.S.O. has been in partnership with SOS SAHEL within the scope of a programme for protecting the environment in west Africa. Based on projects that directly stem from local initiatives, Actions Dakar has set up in country and town, with the region of Louga, Senegal as a homebase. The various operations cover management of waste, natural resources (plantations, protection of varieties in fields…) or fostering awareness in the younger generation at school. After three years of working fruitfully together, the partnership was renewed this year for a furthr period of three years.
Actions Dakar in figures
- 186,000 people concerned for 65 projects
- 953 members of groups trained in natural resource management
- € 600,000, 75 % funded by A.S.O. over 6 years with more 120 000 € in 2007
- 25,989 children and adults made aware of good environmental practices
Protection and enhancement of soils and forestry resources
- 1,208 enhanced stoves built – 888 ha of arable land protected
- 21,656 trees saved, 132,089 trees planted, 69 composters built and 3 dunes fixed
Health protection and water hygiene
- 62 latrines and 62 catch basins built – 5 pools developed – 85 water reservoirs put into operation
Contact: actionsdakar@sossahel.org
PARIS DAKAR, A BET OF THE HEART
After having travelled through the Sahel and determined the most urgent needs, it was in 1985 that Thierry Sabine with Daniel Balavoine founded the Bet of the Heart (Pari du Cœur), "the bet that one is part of to help others win". Thanks to the media coverage of the event and the natural sincerity of both ambassadors, the project rapidly gained public support due to the tragedies lived out by the Sahel population.
Water is life
The supply of water has always been the most essential problem, it is therefore with the installation of water pumps that the solidarity movement started. Knowing for example that an irrigation pump enables the development of 50 hectares of land (that is to say 500 tons of rice), the objective of becoming self sufficient food-wise became finally possible in the concerned areas. After Thierry Sabine's death in 1986, his father, Gilbert, continued Thierry Sabine's actions in Niger, Mauritania, Mali and Senegal. Five years later, these results could already be shown:
- 147 water pumps installed
- 300 m3 of medicine and medical equipment distributed
- 40 m3 of books and school supplies
- 50 m3 of small agricultural machinery
- 77 vehicles
- 500.000 doses of vaccines
THE HUMANITARIAN CARAVAN
In 1986, an operation formed by several partners was built up in connection with the Dakar. At the same time as the rally advances, another caravan crosses Africa bringing help to the Sahel villages. At this time already existing associations join the rally and organize transportation of the equipment. In total the humanitarian caravan includes about fifteen vehicles and around thirty people.
The humanitarian caravan accompanied the rally during four years. During this time various partners contributed by supplying mainly agricultural machinery (rice decorticators, seeds, pumps…)
GOOD ACTION AT THE RIGHT TIME
Later on the rally organizers had to face a cruel fact. Due to the lack of means and supplies, the follow up of the investments to help the village people was not always achieved. Because of the technical and financial difficulties, particularly relating to the running of the pumps, part of the material was badly used or even lost.
In the middle of the 90s the organizers decided to pursue more specific targets. A number of ambitious schemes were therefore concluded over a period of years in Niger, Mauritania, Mali and Senegal:
- 1991: building of a maternity dispensary in Senegal in the village of Niaga Wolof near Lake Rose
- 1993: Building of a maternity dispensary in Niger in the village of Gazamni
- 1997: Building of a college in Mauritania in the town of Zouerat
- 1998: Building of a school in Mali in the village of Koudathiou
- 1999: Building of a water tower in Mauritania in the town of Akjouj. Partial street lighting in the town of Agadez (Niger)
From now on all new actions were substantially modified in order that the programs could be followed up. Thus, lighter but indispensable investments were regularly made for the servicing and running of equipment : training of mid wives, digging of wells…
VOLUNTARY COMPETITORS
The Dakar competitors necessarily have an attraction for these countries and an obvious sensitivity to the terrible life conditions of their populations.
From the very beginning, several individual initiatives, even the smallest and often discreet were taken by competitors. The trucker carrying trunks of clothing or school stationery has never had the intention of saving Africa, but the certainty that his gesture will be helpful to a family or a village school.
For a long time, the actions led by the competitors have been guided by these steps. Then, little by little, projects have started structuring themselves implying more and more European partners. Today for a majority of competitors, the preparation of the rally takes into account the setting-up of a humanitarian or teaching action.
Some projects grow to a considerable scale, like for example the one set up by the Repsol team (Mitsubishi, KTM - Espagne), that allowed to organise the provisioning in medical supplies for a year of several hospitals on the rally course. Dutchman Frits Hessing collected 150.000 € to help with the treatment of pregnant women in order to reduce the risk of transmitting the AIDS virus to their children. Whether their name is Yannick Guyomarch, a fireman from Paris and coordinator of a project to supply Moroccan schools in stationery and various computer material, or José Manuel Salinero who gave out toys to over 800 orphans between Nouakchott and Dakar, all are well aware that the Dakar isn't only a race.