The John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel was established by Pope John Paul II on 22 February 1984, following his first visit to Africa in 1980. During that apostolic journey, the Holy Father witnessed firsthand the great tragedy facing local communities afflicted by drought and desertification. From this experience was born his desire to create an organization to alleviate the suffering of the peoples in that African region.
As stated in the new Statutes approved on 5 February 2026 by Pope Leo XIV, the John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel is an “instrumental legal entity of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DSSUI), governed by canon law and Vatican civil law applicable to legal entities based in Vatican City.”
Nine countries are members: Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Chad. The Foundation’s operational headquarters is located in Ouagadougou, in Burkina Faso.
The Board of Directors is composed of nine bishops, each representing the Church of one of the nine countries of the Sahel currently belonging to the Foundation. The President of the Foundation is Msgr. Florent Hassa Koné, Bishop of San (Mali), who was elected in February 2026.
The Foundation’s mission is to foster the training of individuals dedicated to serving their countries and communities—without discrimination—thereby promoting integral human development rooted in solidarity. In particular, the Foundation works to combat desertification and its root causes, and to support populations affected by drought in the Sahel region. To this end, it prioritizes the training of local facilitators and experts, as well as the funding of projects in areas such as technical, socio-health, socio-agricultural, and socio-economic development, alongside integral development and environmental initiatives.
The Holy Father and the DSSUI closely accompany the Foundation’s journey in its vital work for the integral development of the region and its people.
To learn more:
· Pontifical Chirograph establishing the John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel.
· Message from the Holy Father Benedict XVI on the 25th anniversary of the Foundation’s establishment.
