Sahara Solutions Foundation Inc., a non profit 501(c)3 organization, has launched NomadHope programs in the remote Sahara Desert region of West Africa. By partnering with rural communities to apply appropriate technology and engineering solutions for clean water, sanitation, electricity, and daily meals, NomadHope helps improve schools, education, and literacy.

Pastoral nomads in West Africa work from dawn until dusk tending to their herds, fetching water and firewood, and preparing family meals. One Fulani woman in Mali, for example, spends her days preparing the one daily meal of porridge-like millet for all the students at her community’s local school. She gathers the wood, fetches the water from the closest water source, then grinds the millet by hand using a wooden mortar and pestle, preparing the meal over an open fire.

Some simple examples of technology that can make a significant difference to rural communities and their schools are: water purification systems, water pumps, millet-grinding machines, solar ovens, and solar electricity.