John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel
The John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel was established by Pope John Paul II in 1984, after his first visit to Africa, where he personally saw the tragedy of the populations put to the test by drought and desertification. Its headquarters and secretariat are in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
With the collaboration of the Italian Episcopal Conference, the Church and the local community, the Foundation is committed to giving testimony of the Pope’s closeness to the people living in the poorest areas of the planet, by promoting projects to fight desertification, in areas such as the environment, agricultural development, water pumping systems and renewable energy. The Foundation also trains specialized technical personnel, who can operate at the service of their Country.
Finally, over the years, the Foundation has become an instrument of inter-religious dialogue: the majority of the beneficiaries are, in fact, Muslim.
The Foundation includes the 9 countries that are part of the Sahel area: Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Chad.
Visit the official website of the Foundation.
